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Football Betting Lines: Ohio State vs Wisconsin

Written October 7, 2009 by Rock Henderson

The 25th ranked Wisconsin Badgers hit the road in the Big Ten for the second straight week when they arrive at the Horseshoe in Ohio to battle the 8th ranked Buckeyes. The Badgers have been one of the surprise teams in the conference after their win at Minnesota last weekend ran their record to 5-0. The schedule has been friendly, but this Saturday should provide a lot more information on this Wisconsin team. Ohio State has started the Big Ten season off with two wins against Illinois and Indiana. The Buckeyes will look to pick up their third win in a row after suffering their first loss of the season against USC. Ohio State is currently listed as a 16 point favorite according to the most recent NCAA football odds.

Head coach Brett Bielema has to be pleased with his team’s start to the 2009 year. After narrowly escaping Northern Illinois and Fresno State at home, the Badgers have picked up two impressive conference wins in close games. Wisconsin has always been known for possessing bruising, down hill running backs and this season is no exception. RB John Clay has replaced PJ Hill nicely, totaling 582 yards and seven touchdowns. Clay’s breakout game came last week when the sophomore back scampered for 184 yards and three scores in the Badgers’ 31-28 victory. QB Scott Tolzien won the starting job in the spring and has not disappointed. He has balanced the offense enough to throw for over 1000 yards and nine touchdowns in his first five games. Tolzien’s favorite target has been tight end Garrett Graham, who has been the recipient of four touchdown passes. The next two weeks will determine if Wisconsin will be a major player in the Big Ten race when they host the Iowa Hawkeyes after their game at OSU. If you bet college football, there’s no reason not to take advantage of the $500 match bonus offer at BetUS.

Ohio State has coasted to a 2-0 record in league play and could continue their run in the near future if it plays up to its potential until a November 7th trip to Happy Valley against Penn State takes place. QB Terrelle Pryor seems to have gotten the message after another disappointing performance against USC. He accounted for four total touchdowns and over 200 total yards in their 33-14 thrashing of the Indiana Hoosiers. RB Brandon Saine was a bright spot also, shredding the Hoosier D for 113 yards on just 17 attempts. The Buckeye defense has been impressive all season, but especially in the past three weeks. They have allowed only 14 points with seven of those coming on the final play of the game last Saturday. Coach Tressel’s main obstacle over the next month will be to keep his players focused as they will be heavy favorites in each game in the month of October.

Wisconsin is going to look to pound the ball in between the tackles and that is where the strength of the Ohio State defense lies. The Buckeyes are only allowing a little over 80 yards rushing per contest and have faced talented running teams in Navy and USC. Wisconsin’s defense isn’t scaring anyone and Pryor has proved that he is capable of hitting big plays in the passing game and with his feet. 14 is a large number for two teams in the Top 25, especially in the run happy Big 10. OSU should be too much at home for the Badgers and cover the number. Play: Ohio State -14

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