Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Northwestern Wildcats: Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 11/5/2022

Time: Noon ET

Venue: Ryan Field, Evanston, IL

Where to watch: ABC

DraftKings: Ohio State -38.5

FanDuel: Ohio State -37.5

BetMGM: Ohio State -38.5

Caesars: Ohio State -38

No. 2 Ohio State: 8-0 (5-0 Big Ten)

Northwestern: 1-7 (1-4 Big Ten)

Ohio State: won 44-31 at No. 13 Penn State

Northwestern: lost 33-13 at Iowa

It’s official. This is the Ohio State Buckeyes’ world and we’re just paying rent. Are they the best team in college football? I don’t quite know this answer yet, but they’ve officially gotten through two of the very tough tests in its path, and now are sitting pretty at the No. 2 team in the country, and the College Football Playoff rankings.

Now, we get to the next three weeks for Ohio State: Just don’t screw this up. All you have to do is continue to run the table, put all your chips in against Michigan, and you’re rocking toward the No. 1 spot. But Ohio State has to first take down a 1-7 Northwestern Wildcats team that has not done anything since winning the season-opening game against Wisconsin. Here’s all you need to know: Ohio State is averaging close to 49 points per game. That’s seven touchdowns. Northwestern has averaged 18 per game. This is clearly a lose-lose situation for NU.

There was a part last Saturday that seemed like Ohio State was well on its way to that first loss. The Buckeyes trailed 21-16 with 9:26 to go in the game. That’s when OSU’s will to win kicked in. The Buckeyes outscored Penn State 28-17 in the fourth quarter led by defensive lineman J.T. Tuimoloau’s dominant quarter put the game out of reach. C.J. Stroud completed 26 of 33 for 354 yards and a touchdown, while the defense picked off Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford three times. Oh, and Marvin Harrison Jr. continued in his dad’s footsteps with 10 catches for 185 yards.

"The game starts and ends with the turnovers," Penn State coach James Franklin said. "They're explosive on the offensive side of the ball, they're explosive on the defensive side of the ball. We played our tails off, just made too many mistakes."

What more do we need to say about Ohio State? Just when it seems like Stroud and co. are going to fall off, they come back and find a way to win these games. It’s almost comical at this point. You always thought that this would be the case for Alabama or something. But Ohio State is still finding ways to dominate these teams and get one step closer to a national championship.

But the only thing I have to think of when it comes to Ohio State would have to be this, and I think it has to be legit: How good is the Big Ten? Like, outside of Michigan. Is Ohio State really good enough to win? But is Penn State good enough to hang with Ohio State? I don’t think the Buckeyes will find a way to lose to Northwestern, but this is the kind of final stretch that could really hinder Ohio State’s chances. The only good thing they have at this point

Ohio State is winning this game, it’s just a matter of how much? The Buckeyes are 38-point favorites with some books adding that half point in some instances. Ohio State should be able to win this game by throwing the ball 40 times and Stroud cashing in a big game. Ohio State by 41

Ohio State is 182-144 ATS as a favorite since 1992.

Ohio State is 85-55 ATS on the road since 1992.

Ohio State is 6-3 ATS as a road favorite the last three years.

Northwestern is 7-8 ATS as an underdog the last three years.

Northwestern is 7-7 ATS in its last 14 home games.

Passing: C.J. Stroud -- 2,377 yards, 29 TD, 4 INT

Rushing: TreVeyon Henderson -- 552 yards, 6 TD

Receiving: Emeka Egbuka -- 788 yards, 7 TD

Passing: Ryan Hilinski -- 1,576 yards, 6 TD, 6 INT

Rushing: Evan Hull -- 579 yards, 3 TD

Receiving: Malik Washington -- 470 yards, 1 TD