“The Game” is one of the greatest rivalry games in all of sports. When the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines face off, it’s akin to war. Usually, this game has serious consequences for both teams, but in 2024, only the Buckeyes are banking on a result. That said, Michigan could pull the ultimate joker on their bitter rival by disrupting Ohio State’s postseason plans.
Who comes out on top? Our Michigan vs. Ohio State prediction breaks it all down—from the latest betting odds to what’s at stake for both programs as they close the book on the 2024 college football season.
Michigan vs. Ohio State Betting Preview
All Michigan vs. Ohio State odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. The CFN spread comes from College Football Network’s Football Playoff Meter.
- CFN FPM Spread
Ohio State -17.5 - Spread
Ohio State -20.5 - Moneyline
Ohio State -1650, Michigan +950 - Over/Under
43 points - Game Time
Noon ET - Location
Ohio Stadium | Columbus, Ohio - Predicted Weather at Kick
31 degrees, cloudy, 8 mph winds - How To Watch
Fox
Saturday marks the 119th edition of “The Game,” the rivalry matchup between the Wolverines and the Buckeyes. Michigan has won the last three editions, including in Columbus in 2022, and takes a 61-51-6 advantage into the Week 14 encounter. However, the two programs have taken polar opposite trajectories this season, and Ohio State is a significant favorite.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
Ryan Day’s team has won all bar one of the games they’ve been favored this year (losing to the Oregon Ducks) and although they’ve got a narrow 6-5 record against the spread, their average margin of victory is 27.1 points. Meanwhile, Michigan has won just once as an underdog this year (against the USC Trojans), and has failed to cover the spread by an average of 1.3 points.
Michigan’s Winning Probability
CFN’s FPM doesn’t give the visiting Wolverines much of a chance in this one, just an 8.9% win probability. However, a win would mean the Wolverines would extend their three-game winning streak over the Buckeyes.
- at Ohio State: 91.1%
Ohio State’s Winning Probability
On the flip side, the Buckeyes are heavy favorites, with a 91.1% win probability. The Buckeyes would then head to Indianapolis for a rematch with Oregon for a first-round bye and potential top-end seed in the College Football Playoff.
- vs. Michigan: 91.1%
Prediction for Michigan vs. Ohio State
Spoiler alert: I think Ohio State takes three years’ worth of frustration out on the Wolverines in a beatdown that easily covers the spread, finally gaining revenge after three straight brutal losses to the Wolverines.
But what if the Buckeyes lose?
It’s The Game after all, and we’ve seen surprising upsets.
An unranked Michigan team blanked No. 5 Ohio State, 28-0, in 1993. Between 2001 and 2004, unranked Ohio State upset top-12 Michigan teams twice, including a 37-20 blowout in 2004. Michigan has been an underdog in all three of the wins during this streak.
It’s possible.
A Michigan win would send shockwaves through the college football world. The Indiana Hoosiers and Penn State Nittany Lions would face several lengthy tie-breakers for the right to play Oregon, Michigan fans would feel like the entirety of the 2024 calendar year was a success, and Ohio State fans would apply enough pressure to make Ryan Day’s seat very, very hot.
It would be one of the most consequential upsets of the modern college football era.
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In all likelihood, that won’t happen.
We know what this Michigan team is. The Wolverines have the talent in the trenches to bully less physically talented teams at the point of attack. They can hold up against average and even slightly above-average teams because they can win enough at the line of scrimmage to make teams nervous.
The Wolverines bullied Northwestern; they bullied Michigan State; they even held up against Indiana. But they should not be able to impose their will in the running game against an elite Ohio State front.
Sure, the defense can get some pressure, but the offense can’t score if it can’t move bodies in the power-running game.
Ohio State might take some time to find an offensive rhythm; we saw that against Indiana. But the Buckeyes’ defense held the Hoosiers to 150 yards of offense, and it would not surprise me at all to see the Wolverines fail to reach that.
If it looks close early, Ohio State fans shouldn’t fret. And when the Buckeyes start to pull away, don’t be surprised if they continue to keep their foot on the gas.
Much like Bowser in Mario Kart, it might take the Buckeyes some time to get going, but once up to full speed, they won’t slow down. Unfortunately for the over bettors, I’m not sure they’ll get much help from the Wolverines.
Prediction: Ohio State 37, Michigan 7
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