The Ohio State Buckeyes are 20-0 straight up over their last 20 games but have gone just 1-5 against the spread over their last six. The Buckeyes hope to put their inconsistencies behind them this Saturday against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
Ohio State vs. Rutgers 2015 odds: Buckeyes big betting favorite with new starting QB
The Ohio State Buckeyes will try to take another step towards an undefeated season as big odds favorites vs. the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
Ohio State is a 21-point road favorite this Saturday night, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. In their last seven games as a favorite of 20 points or more the Buckeyes are 0-7 ATS.
As has become standard practice for Ohio State this season, the Buckeyes got off to another slow start last week against the Penn State Nittany Lions, trailing 3-0 at the end of the first quarter.
But thanks in large part to the relief efforts of J.T. Barrett off the bench, the Buckeyes eventually pulled away with a 38-10 win and cover at home. Barrett completed all four of his passes including two touchdown strikes, and rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.
Barrett's strong play off the bench has earned the redshirt sophomore the start against Rutgers. Ohio State is 14-6 ATS in its last 20 October road games per the OddsShark College Football Database.
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
When: Sat., Oct. 24, 8 p.m. ET
Where: High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey
Betting Line / Total: Ohio State -21 / (None Posted)
The Scarlet Knights were involved in one of last Saturday’s most exciting games hosting Indiana as a 6.5-point home underdog. Rutgers trailed 52-27 after allowing four straight touchdowns to the Hoosiers to start the second half, but the team roared back with five unanswered scores including a last-second field goal to win 55-52.
If nothing else, the upset win showed that Rutgers can score in bunches if given an opening. The Scarlet Knights are 3-3 SU and ATS this season.
This is a tough game to handicap given the inconsistent play of Ohio State this season. Ohio State is the clearly superior team on paper, and on its best day could easily win this game by more than 21 points. But through the first seven games of the season, the Buckeyes have rarely played their best.
With Rutgers having home field advantage and showing some nice punch on offense this season, averaging 34.3 points per game, a cover as a 21-point home dog is completely within reason.
