Even with an early start next Saturday, Ohio State is still expected to take care of business at Illinois next weekend in what will be the first of two straight road games.
After the Buckeyes opened as 13.5-point favorites over the Fighting Illini before the season, the spread has since increased. Ohio State is now listed as more than two-touchdown favorites over Illinois, as DraftKings has OSU as a 16.5-point favorite and FanDuel lists the Buckeyes as 15.5-point favorites over Illinois. FanDuel has the over/under set at 48.5.
Ohio State is 4-1 against the spread this season, as Ohio State was unable to cover against Ohio, missing the number by a half-point. OSU has easily covered the spread in the other four games. Three of the Buckeyes' five games have hit the under, with their dominant wins over Grambling State and Minnesota being the only two games that went over the total.
Illinois, meanwhile, is 5-1 overall and also 5-1 against the spread so far this season. The Fighting Illini's lone loss of the season, a 63-10 drubbing at Indiana two weeks ago, was the only time Bret Bielema's team did not cover the spread. Four of Illini's six games have hit the over, including each of their last three contests and four of their last five games overall.
Ohio State is 68-30-4 all-time against Illinois. The Buckeyes have won eight straight games in the matchup (nine straight if you include the vacated win in 2010), as OSU's last loss against the Fighting Illini was in 2007. Ohio State's last loss in Champaign was in 1991, as it has won 11 straight at Illinois.
The Buckeyes and Fighting Illini are set to kick off at 12 p.m. ET (11 a.m. local time in Champaign) on Saturday. The game will be televised on FOX.
