Big Ten Football Betting Preview: Picks, Predictions, Over/Unders and Dark Horses

The Big Ten had a different College Football Playoff contender from the norm after Michigan upset Ohio State, but the Buckeyes are set to get their revenge.

C.J. Stroud is the Heisman Trophy favorite for odds on Big Ten favorite Ohio State after finishing as a finalist in his first season as the starter for the Buckeyes. With him is star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who hopes to build the defense necessary to win a National Championship.

What about Michigan, a year removed from their first CFP appearance? Can Penn State contend once again? What about out West, will Wisconsin return to the Big Ten title again or can Nebraska rid themselves of their bad luck?

Let's break down the Big Ten for 2022.

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

Big Ten Regular Season Win Totals for Every Team

• Illinois: 4.5 (Over -125/Under +105)
• Indiana: 4 (Over -120/Under +100)
• Iowa: 7.5 (Over -105/Under -115)
• Maryland: 6 (Over +100/Under -120)
• Michigan: 9.5 (Over -125/Under +105)
• Michigan State: 7.5 (Over -130/Under +110)
• Minnesota: 7.5 (Over +100/Under -120)
• Nebraska: 7.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
• Northwestern: 4 (Over +100/Under -120)
• Ohio State: 10.5 (Over -240/Under +195)
• Penn State: 8.5 (Over +105/Under -125)
• Purdue: 7.5 (Over +115/Under -135)
• Rutgers: 4 (Over +100/Under -120)
• Wisconsin: 8.5 (Over -145/Under +125)

Every Team's Odds to Win Big Ten Championship

• Illinois: +15000
• Indiana: +30000
• Iowa: +2000
• Maryland: +15000
• Michigan: +600
• Michigan State: +2800
• Minnesota: +2800
• Nebraska: +2200
• Northwestern: +40000
• Ohio State: -210
• Penn State: +1600
• Purdue: +3000
• Rutgers: +50000
• Wisconsin: +1100

Big Ten Championship Favorite: Ohio State (-210)

The Buckeyes are the best team in the country in my opinion. While Stroud was a bit flustered early in the season, he rebounded to put together a Heisman-worthy season. Overall, he passed for over 4,400 yards, tossing 44 touchdowns to six interceptions. While he loses Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, a pair of first round picks to the NFL, he has arguably the best of them all back in Smith-Njigba.

Forget the 347 yards receiving in the Rose Bowl, JSN had 1,606 yards as a true freshman. The team has a projected first round pick on the offensive line in Paris Johnson. Overall, the line is one of the biggest in the country, standing at 6'5" and north of 310 pounds on average as a unit.

What held the Buckeyes back in two losses to Oregon and Michigan was the defense. The team put up 28 and 27 points, respectively, but allowed 35 and 42. The team brought in the archetict of one of the best defenses in the nation last year in Jim Knowles from Oklahoma State.

Knowles has plenty of talent to work with, but the production needs to match it. The team was just average on defense last season, middle of the pack in turnovers forced (19) and couldn't stop teams when they were in the red zone (opponent's scored touchdowns on nearly 73% of red zone trips).

With the secondary taking a step forward, the defensive line needs to match that. Opponents converted more than 42% of third down tries, 100th in the country, and the Buckeyes defense was outside the top 50 in success rate.

There are eight starters back, including budding safety Denzel Burke, who will be aided in the secondary by Oklahoma State transfer Tanner McCalister, so this unit should find it's footing with Knowles at the helm.

There are a few tough spots, such as at Penn State on October 29th, but the Buckeyes are rightfully the overwhleming favorite with the talent on hand.

Big Ten Championship Dark Horse: Purdue (+3000)

The Big Ten is fairly one sided when looking at the divisions with Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Michigan State all occupying the East division. That opens up the West for some more parity and a potential contender to emerge and likely face Ohio State in the title game.

Last season it was Iowa and the year before Northwestern who shook up the preseason projections and made the title game. This season it could be Purdue.

While the Boilermakers have some own questions after losing NFL-bound wide out David Bell (93 catches, 1,286 yards) as well as co-defensive coordinator Brad Lambert, Jeff Brohm's aerial attack is a change of pace for the West division that features more ground-focused attacks.

Aidan O'Connell is back after rotating in and out of the starting quarterback role. He was clearly the best option last season, throwing for 3,712 yards on a gaudy 71.8% completion percentage. Without Bell, he torched the Tennessee defense in the Music City Bowl, a 48-45 overtime victory.

He's back with a few key targets like Payne Durham and Broc Thompson.

The schedule does the Boilermakers favors as well. They open at home against Penn State and avoid Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State in cross-division matchups. While they do go to Minnesota and Wisconsin, Brohm's club draws Iowa at home.

Further, they close at Illinois, home for Northwestern and at Indiana, three of the projected four worst teams in the Big Ten.

Big Ten Championship Pick: Ohio State over Wisconsin

Ohio State is the second choice to win the National Championship (+300) for good reason. The team's ability to overwhelm opponent's on offense is unmatched in the Big Ten. Stroud is going to put up video game like numbers with another full offseason and I haven't even mentioned game breaking sophomore TreVeyon Henderson yet, who averaged 6.8 yards per carry on 183 rushes last season.

Wisconsin slipped early, but found it's footing down the stretch as they found their next great running back in Braelon Allen. The tailback rushed for over 1,200 yards and had eight 100 yard games as the team won eight of their last nine games to finish the season 9-4.

Can Graham Mertz rediscover his lofty recruiting ranking though? This is the big question in Madison as Mertz looked helpless at times, throwing just 10 touchdowns to 11 interceptions in 13 starts. Can he take a step forward? The team is talented enough with defensive coordinator Jim Leonard in charge of one of the best defenses in the country to get through the West division, but not enough to touch Ohio State in the title game.

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