The Ohio State Buckeyes may have fallen to the Oregon Ducks, but every one of their goals remains within reach. With a matchup against the Indiana Hoosiers looming next week, this could be a classic look-ahead scenario. But do the Northwestern Wildcats have the talent to truly challenge the Buckeyes?
On a neutral field, the Wildcats will aim to deliver the upset of the season. Can they pull it off? Dive into this Ohio State vs. Northwestern prediction to see if they have what it takes.
Ohio State vs. Northwestern Betting Preview
All Ohio State vs. Northwestern odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. The CFN spread comes from College Football Network’s Football Playoff Meter.
- CFN FPM Spread
Ohio State -24 - Spread
Ohio State -28.5 - Moneyline
N/A - Over/Under
44 points - Game Time
Noon ET - Location
Wrigley Field | Chicago, IL - Predicted Weather at Kick
53 degrees, cloudy, 7 mph winds - How To Watch
Big Ten Network
The only two questions on Saturday are whether the Buckeyes treat this as a look-ahead game and what percentage of fans will be able to see the football game from their Wrigley Field seats.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
With an over/under set at 44 and a 28.5-point spread, Vegas has no faith in Northwestern’s offense, projecting a final score around 36-8 in Ohio State’s favor.
Ohio State’s Winning Probability
CFN’s Football Playoff Meter thinks this game is just standard procedure before Ohio State’s real game next week, making the Buckeyes 24-point favorites against the Wildcats.
Their winning probability in this game is 95.6%, the Buckeyes’ highest remaining winning probability of the season. Per the metric, they’re heavy favorites in all three games.
- at Northwestern: 95.6%
- vs. Indiana: 71.6%
- at Michigan: 91.3%
Northwestern’s Winning Probability
Conversely, Northwestern has a 4.4% chance of beating the Buckeyes at Wrigley Field. The Wildcats are stuck at four wins, and finding a fifth or sixth will be extremely difficult, given their remaining schedule.
- vs. Ohio State: 4.4%
- at Michigan: 16.7%
- vs. Illinois: 24.7%
Prediction for Ohio State vs. Northwestern
Ohio State holds the keys to its future in the Big Ten and potentially a No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. To make that a reality, the Buckeyes need to finish the regular season undefeated, which includes a pivotal home matchup against undefeated Indiana, and then avenge their loss to Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game.
This week’s game, however, has the potential to be a trap. With the Hoosiers looming, Ohio State faces Northwestern, a better team than their record suggests. But as I’ve noted before, when it comes to potential blowout situations, Ohio State defies the norms of modern college football. Depth isn’t an issue—if anything, it’s a strength.
The Buckeyes boast backups who would be starters at most other Big Ten programs, making them simply too talented to overlook.
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Northwestern, meanwhile, has come back down to Earth. David Braun has done a commendable job, but last season’s success was largely due to weaker competition in the Big Ten. While the Wildcats have proven they can catch teams off guard—like they did against Maryland—Ohio State’s talent is in another stratosphere.
The Buckeyes should win comfortably, setting up a marquee showdown with Indiana. The bigger question is whether they can cover the spread.
Once again, it comes down to Ohio State’s remarkable depth. Even if Ryan Day opts to rest his starters after building a significant lead—a decision he hasn’t made often this season—he’ll be replacing them with five-star talent.
While I don’t believe Ohio State has reached its full potential this season, this isn’t the game where we’ll see that happen. Northwestern’s offense, which has struggled mightily, doesn’t pose a serious threat to Ohio State’s stout defense.
The spread, sitting just beyond four touchdowns, gives me pause, but I still like the Buckeyes to cover. Northwestern’s offense may manage a few late scores, led by Jack Lausch, to move the ball a bit. Ohio State has been known to sit on leads, as they did against Purdue, but I think both teams will find the end zone in the fourth quarter, pushing this game over the total.
While there are stronger betting opportunities this weekend, I’m confident Ohio State will cover and push the total over.
Prediction: Ohio State 41, Northwestern 9
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