Ohio State and Michigan are supposed to dominate the Big 10. Although one of those teams figures to do just that, the other could be in a world of hurt. Check out predictions about the Buckeyes and Wolverines as well as a couple of other big time Big 10 college football betting predictions for 2019!
Five Fearless College Football Betting Predictions for Big Ten in 2019
Ohio State won’t win the conference as the +175 chalk
The Buckeyes must replace one of the most successful coaches in college football history, Urban Meyer. Ryan Day should do a decent job. But, there’s coaching well and then there’s coaching Urban Meyer well. Meyer, Nick Saban, Dabo Sweeney, those guys are legends because they’re better than anyone else.
Day’s first task as coach is to find a quarterback that can duplicate what Dwayne Haskins did last season. That’s impossible to do. Right now, Day hasn’t decided if he’ll start Justin Fields, Georgia’s former starter, or Gunner Hoak. Hoak has shown more enthusiasm and Day wants a QB that’s obsessed with winning, which Hoak appears to be.
Fields should get the nod. He’s got to be Haskins good for the Buckeyes to beat Michigan this season, though. So, even if he gets the nod, Ohio State looks iffy at low odds to win the conference.
The Buckeyes will lose at least 2 games this season
If Jim Harbaugh doesn’t beat Ohio State this season, he never will. Harbaugh and the Wolverines should add the second loss. Where will the first loss come from? Ohio State has a cakewalk schedule again.
There road games are at Indiana, at Northwestern, at Rutgers, at Nebraska, and in Ann Arbor versus rival Michigan. The team that should beat Ohio State is Nebraska. But, the Buckeyes could get their second loss much earlier, on Sep. 7 when they host the Cincinnati Bearcats. This is especially true if the offense hasn’t gelled around either Fields or Hoak.
Michigan will win the Big 10 as a +190 second choice
This might look fairly obvious. It’s not! Jim Harbaugh is 1-9 straight up versus Top 10 teams. If Harbaugh doesn’t get the Wolverines to the CFP this season, he never will. Michigan hosts Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Michigan State. They don’t play Nebraska. The only tough road games are at Wisconsin and at Penn State.
Harbaugh and the Wolverines have no excuses. They shouldn’t disappoint.
Penn State will lose 4 conference games/h3>
Penn State’s defense will be good. The offense will be a work in progress. They host Michigan, but must travel to Ohio State. They don’t battle Nebraska, but must also travel to Iowa and Michigan State.
The Nittany Lions could surprise, but based on where their offense is at, 4 conference losses seems more than probable.
Nebraska will make it to a Jan. 1 bowl game
Nebraska shouldn’t win the Big Ten. Michigan will beat them in the Big Ten Championship. Losing to an undefeated Wolverines’ squad should send the Cornhuskers to a New Year’s Day Bowl.
Scott Frost has done this before. It took a couple of seasons for Frost to take Central Florida from one of the worst teams in the AAC to an undefeated Jan. 1 team. If Nebraska gets by Ohio State on Sep. 28, they could go undefeated. If they upset Michigan in the Big Ten title game, they could go to the College Football Playoff.
It’s hard to predict that happening. However, winning the Big Ten West and playing on Jan. 1 is more than probable.
