Good teams win, great teams cover, right?
If that's the case, it appears Ohio State must beat the Purdue Boilermakers by at least four touchdowns next Saturday in West Lafayette to continue to be considered great.
The Buckeyes opened as 28.5-point favorites over Purdue on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Ohio State is 8-0 on the season and also a dominant 7-1 against the spread so far this season, with its only loss ATS being by half a point against Ohio in the third game of the season. The Buckeyes are a perfect 3-0 ATS on the road.
Purdue has struggled this season, not only in terms of its 2-7 record but also ATS, as the Boilermakers are just 2-7 ATS this season, including a dismal 1-4 ATS at home. They are 2-4 ATS when listed as an underdog. Of the two times Purdue has covered the spread this season, one came in a 21-16 loss to Michigan on Saturday, a game the Boilermakers closed as 21-point underdogs.
The Buckeyes have won each of their last three matchups with Purdue and five of the past six overall, dating back to 2012. In its last three wins in the matchup, Ohio State has outscored Purdue 145-38, including an 86-7 difference over the last two games in the series.
While the game isn't expected to be close, the total opened at 49.5. Five of Ohio State's eight games have hit the under, while seven of Purdue's nine games thus far have done so. Each of the Boilermakers' last four games has hit the under. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, have hit the under in two of their last three games.
Kickoff between Ohio State and Purdue is set for 1 p.m. on Big Ten Network next Saturday.
