Written by :
Published on :
Considering the Wolverines have a mere 2 losses on the season while Ohio State is hovering around .500, it’s pretty surprising the OSU Michigan spread is just -8 in favor of Michigan at Sportsbook.com. Be sure to claim your FREE CASH when opening an online betting account at Sportsbook.com here. Up to $250!!!!
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Michigan -7.5 & 44.5
Opening Line & Total: Wolverines -8 & 44.5
Ohio State looks to end a dismal regular season on a high note Saturday afternoon with another win over rival Michigan.
The Wolverines haven’t beaten the Buckeyes since 2003, dropping seven straight (2-5 ATS) in the series. They have scored a meager 27 total points in the past four matchups with OSU, but this is a different season. No. 15 Michigan is clearly the better team here, having just hung 45 on Nebraska last week, marking its eighth 30-point game this year. The Buckeyes suffered their fifth loss of 2011 when Penn State beat them 20-14 at The Horseshoe last week. Ohio State is 1-3 SU on the road this season while Michigan is 7-0 (6-1 ATS) at home.
Ohio State’s passing offense continues to be one of the worst in all the land, ranking 118th out of 120 FBS teams with 114 passing YPG. Freshman QB Braxton Miller has not thrown for 150 yards in a game this season, but he does have a quality ratio by throwing 9 TD and 3 INT. Miller has been more effective using his legs though, rushing for 352 yards and 6 TD in the past four games. Senior Dan Herron has also been a force on the ground with 559 rushing yards in five games, but he has been limited to just 144 yards on 38 carries (3.8 YPC) over the past two contests. OSU’s rushing defense has also been lackluster recently, which is not a good thing when preparing for Michigan’s potent running game. In the past three contests, the Buckeyes have allowed 527 rushing yards (176 YPG) on 4.1 YPC. They are also not helping themselves in the turnover department, totaling just three takeaways in the past four games. OSU could be missing its best linebacker, as Andrew Sweat (team-high 68 tackles) is questionable after suffering a concussion.
Robinson has not performed very well in two career meetings with Ohio State, completing just 10-of-22 passes for 90 yards (0 TD, 0 INT) and adding 136 rushing yards on 4.9 YPC. Although his Big Ten-leading 262 total YPG is down considerably from last year’s 329 YPG, he is still piling up the touchdowns with 29 (15 passing, 14 rushing), keeping pace with his 32 from last season. Robinson has scored at least 2 TD in nine of 11 games this season. A big factor for his drop in production is the emergence of RB Fitzgerald Toussaint, who has 891 rushing yards and 10 total TD, including 558 yards and six scores in his past four games. Defensively, Michigan has been strong all season, ranking sixth in the nation in scoring (15.6 PPG) and 14th in yardage (313 YPG). The Wolverines are also making plays on the ball, forcing at least two turnovers in nine of 11 games this year and totaling 26 takeaways for the season.
- Carrie Stroup Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
