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College Football Week 1: Ohio State at Indiana Odds, Analysis & Pick

College Football Week 1: Ohio State at Indiana Odds, Analysis & Pick

Written by on August 31, 2017

NCAAF News and Betting Previews| Xbet.ag
The last time we saw the Ohio State Buckeyes walk off the football field, they had just taken a 31-0 beating from the Clemson Tigers in the national semifinal on New Year’s Eve. Quarterback J.T. Barrett returns for his senior year, along with seven other offensive starters, ready for redemption, and the first team on their slate is the Indiana Hoosiers. A year ago, the Buckeyes beat the Hoosiers by 21 points. The Buckeyes are the favorites in the NCAAF odds on Thursday. Check out our perspective on this Big Ten College Football Week 1 betting matchup before you lock in your wagers.

College Football Week 1: Ohio State at Indiana Odds, Analysis & Pick

When: Thursday, August 31, 2017, 8:00 PM ET Where: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN TV: ESPN Radio: Ohio State IMG Sports Network / Indiana Hoosier Sports Network Live Stream: WatchESPN College Football Week 1 Odds: Ohio State -20.5, O/U 56.5

Weather Forecast

  • Mostly Cloudy: 23°C/74°F
  • Humidity: 61%
  • Precipitation: 15%
  • Wind: 10 mph NE
  • Cloud Cover: 76%
  • Type of Stadium: Open

Why should you bet on the Buckeyes?

J.T. Barrett has led the Buckeyes to victory in 26 of the 30 games he has started at quarterback for them. In 2016, he threw for 2,555 yards, along with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He was also dangerous with his feet, running for 845 yards and nine cores, averaging 4.1 yards per attempt. In 2016, the Buckeyes scored 39.4 points a game and gained almost 460 yards per contest. Behind Barrett is tailback Mike Weber, who picked up 1,096 yards in 2016, scoring nine times and picking up 6.0 yards per attempt. So that offensive malaise that hit against Clemson was an aberration — one that the Buckeyes will be motivated not to repeat. On defense, the Buckeyes were stout last year, permitting just 300.2 yards per game. Three of their four starters on the D-line are back, led by senior end Tyquan Lewis and junior end Sam Hubbard, who combined for 18.5 tackles for loss in 2016. If Indiana can’t get something going on offense and gets stuck in a three-and- out routine, things could get ugly quickly in Bloomington, as the Buckeyes will almost surely be bent on working out those frustrations fromlast year’s playoff game.

Why should you put your money on the Hoosiers?

The Hoosier defense took some big strides last year; in 2015 they had permitted 510 yards per game, but last year they reduced that to 380 yards. Nine of the Indiana defensive starters from last year are back, led by linebacker Tegray Scales, who stacked up 23.5 tackles for loss all on his own. Are the Hoosiers a safe bet against the Buckeyes in College Football Week 1? The offense is led once again by quarterback Richard Lagow, who threw for 3,362 yards and 19 scores last year — but he also had 17 interceptions. The Hoosiers have a new offensive coordinator in Mike Debord, and his system is a little more slower than what Lagow ran last year, and the extra time that the offense takes to unfold could help Lagow avoid some of those quick-throw interceptions, as long as the line gives him the time he needs in the pocket. Simmie Cobbs returns at wide receiver after missing all of the 2016 campaign because of an injury and then a suspension. If you like Indiana, then you see their defense keeping Barrett and Weber in at least enough check to keep things closer than three touchdowns.

Series History

  • Total Meetings: 89
  • First Meeting: November 23rd, 1901. Columbus, Ohio
  • Last Meeting: October 8th, 2016. Columbus, Ohio
  • All-Time Series: Ohio State 72-12-5
  • Largest Margin of Victory:
  • Longest Win Streak: Ohio State 23 (1960-1986)
  • Current Win Streak: Ohio State 21 (1991-2916)

Latest College Football Week 1 Betting Trends

  • Ohio State is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games
  • Ohio State is 22-3 SU in its last 25 games
  • Indiana is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
  • Indiana is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
  • The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Indiana’s last 10 games

Expert College Football Week 1 Pick and Final Score Prediction

Ohio State comes into this game with an enormous chip on their shoulder after that embarrassment in the national semifinal last year. To add a little more motivation, the new offensive coordinator at Ohio State, Kevin Wilson, returns to Indiana — the school that let him go near the end of last season as a result of allegations of player mistreatment. That’s a factor that could work both ways, though, as the Hoosiers want to do their best to take down their former coach. The talent, though, heavily favors the Buckeyes — and I see them winning this opener, 37-10.
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