Colllege Football Betting on The Game – Buckeyes By the Numbers

Saturday, November 27, 2010

by BetUS.com

Colllege Football Betting on The Game – Buckeyes By the Numbers

How do the Ohio State Buckeyes stack up from the standpoint of the numbers as they lay 16.5 points to the Michigan Wolverines in "The Game," set to kick off at Noon ET at Ohio Stadium in Columbus? Let's take a long look.

- Michigan Wolverines (7-4 SU, 3-7 ATS) at Ohio State Buckeyes (10-1 SU, 8-2-1 ATS)
Live at Ohio Stadium Columbus, O.
Saturday, November 27 -- Noon ET
TV: ABC

Betting Odds:
Ohio State -16.5
Michigan +16.5
Total 63.5

[Off topic: by the way, do you want to get a 55% bonus on your first deposit here at BetUS Sportsbook? If so JOIN NOW.]

When Michigan snaps the ball on Saturday when things get underway in The Game, they hope that they don't hit a brick wall, and so do the football betting backers who are loyal to the Maize and Blue. The Ohio State Buckeyes are a solid third in the nation in rushing defense, allowing just 86 yards a game and limiting opponents to 2.9 yards per carry. The only teams that have allowed less are Boise State and Boston College, and when you look at the sports betting factors that go into The Game, that is what is going to be most important when they go up against Denard Robinson. The OSU secondary has really done its job as well; the 54.8% completions they have allowed is more than acceptable, and while Ohio State has permitted just seven touchdowns through the air, they have picked off 17 passes. If you look down the list, only six teams have picked off more.

What this amounts to is that this team is third in total defense, and the 241.5 yards they allow per contest is less than any team in a BCS conference (only TCU and Boise State have yielded less). A few teams have hit the 20-mark against the Buckeyes; Wisconsin beat them 31-18, and Miami actually led Ohio State 20-17 at one point before falling 36-24. Eastern Michigan also scored 20 points, but gave up 73. If there is one thing you can find fault with in terms of defense, it's that Ohio State has not rushed the passer very well; In fact, their total of 18 sacks, while even with Alabama and more than Michigan, their opponent in The Game on Saturday, it is tied for 87th in the country, although I don't know that this is a big football betting factor against Denard Robinson, who is pretty elusive behind the line of scrimmage.

In total offense, this team ranks 18th overall. Terrelle Pryor has improved as a quarterback; the junior, who has announced that he'll be back next year, has thrown for 23 TD's with 10 interceptions and has run for 590 yards. He's ranked 14th on the efficiency list. Pryor is nimble, but he is a supporting player in the Ohio State rushing game. Danell Herron is the team's leading running back, with 893 yards and 14 touchdowns. Dane Sanzenbacher has caught 49 passes for 818 yards and he is the team's leading receiver, although DeVier Posey (45 catches) is also a favorite target of Pryor's.

All told, OSU has averaged just a shade under 40 points a game, and has scored a point for every 11.3 yards it has gained, which is actually quite a bit better than Michigan (14 yards per point on offense). With 26 takeaways, the team has been able to derive a +12 turnover margin.

So how does all of this translate for football bettors? Well, the Buckeyes have been very good investments overall, covering 18 of their last 23 games. The game will be their eighth home appearance this season, and they have covered the other seven. In the rivalry, the Ohio State Buckeyes have had the upper hand since Jim Tressel took over, and that is intentional, because the alumni were upset with the ineptitude of previous coach John Cooper, as well as his attitude toward The Game. OSU has covered seven of the last nine meetings in football betting, and they are the hefty favorite again on Saturday.

Get in on "The Game" with football betting at BetUS Sportsbook!

Related Articles

Category

Tags

dane sanzenbacher - danell herron - denard robinson - devier posey - football betting - jim tressel - john cooper - michigan wolverines - ohio stadium - ohio state buckeyes