The Michigan Wolverines (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) will head to Columbus on Saturday to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes (10-1, 7-1) in one of the best rivalries in college football. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET on FOX.
Can Michigan extend its winning streak to four straight in the 120th meeting of "The Game?" The Wolverines travel to Ohio Stadium to take on Ohio State 1 season removed from winning the National Championship.
While Michigan has underachieved expectations from a win-total perspective, the team up north has dominated the series in the backdrop of the Connor Stalions investigation.
Not only has Ohio State lost three straight, but the Buckeyes enter the contest as the 2nd-ranked team in the nation for the 4th consecutive time. Since the 2021 season, head coach Ryan Day has only lost to Oregon, Georgia, Missouri and Michigan.
Now, the roles are seemingly reversed as Ohio State opened as a -20.5 favorite with an over/under that has remained steady at 43.
Let's take a look at my Michigan vs. Ohio State predictions and college football picks for Saturday, Nov. 30.
Michigan Wolverines vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Prediction, Picks
- Michigan vs. Ohio State Pick: Ohio State -21
My Ohio State vs. Michigan best bet is on the Buckeyes to cover the spread, with the best line currently available at DraftKings, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Michigan vs. Ohio State Odds, Spread, Line
| Michigan Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+19.5 -105 | 42.5 -105 / -115 | +950 |
| Ohio State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-19.5 -115 | 42.5 -105 / -115 | -1600 |
- Michigan vs. Ohio State Spread: Michigan +19.5 · Ohio State -19.5
- Michigan vs. Ohio State Over/Under: 42.5 Points
- Michigan vs. Ohio State Moneyline: Michigan ML +950 · Ohio State ML -1600
Michigan Football vs. Ohio State Football Betting Preview
Michigan Wolverines Betting Preview: Building Off Dominant Victory?
The Michigan offense had a breakout in a 50-point effort against Northwestern last week.
Led by the rushing attack with Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards, the Wolverines posted a 67% Success Rate on 34 rushing attempts.
Michigan more than doubled the Wildcats in overall yards per play, running just 19 plays in passing downs the entire game.
Donovan Edwards added to his memorable #Michigan career with a 20-yard touchdown run in a win on Senior Day! 💨https://t.co/V70BxzaJK3pic.twitter.com/djYK765CH1
— Chas Post (@chas_post23) November 24, 2024
Head coach Sherrone Moore also got a valiant effort out of the defense, producing eight tackles for loss while limiting Northwestern to just eight first downs.
The performance was standard for the season under coordinator Wink Martindale. Martindale's D-line also comes in as the best pass rush in FBS, per PFF.
Where the offense has had issues creating explosives, the defense has been caught off guard by the big play.
Every passing analytic has taken a step back from the national title defense a year ago, ranking at the bottom of FBS teams in coverage grading and creating contested catches.
Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Preview: Looking for Revenge
While Day preached a blue-collar mentality in developing a physical running game for multiple seasons, it was the hiring of offensive coordinator Chip Kelly that allowed the execution to take place.
The Buckeyes are not only a top-25 team in Success Rate and Line Yards but also in average distance before first contact.
Ohio State didn't see a drop-off in the offensive line play rate Indiana despite Connor Hinzman's move to center and Austin Siereveld's promotion to starter at guard.
Siereveld paid off the start, producing the highest run-blocking grade of all five starting linemen.
TreVeyon Henderson wants Indiana in the CFP! pic.twitter.com/UVcbsgCZjF
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) November 23, 2024
The MVP of the Indiana win was the Ohio State defense. The Buckeyes limited the Hoosiers to a minuscule 2.6 yards per play, gaining 21% of available yards with no explosive drives.
Quarterback Kurtis Rourke connected on just 8-of-18 passing attempts for 68 yards, while DC Jim Knowles flexed a top-15 Havoc rate by producing eight tackles for loss.
More impressive is the defense's No. 1 overall season rank in two of the most important statistics: Quality Drives allowed and Finishing Drives allowed.
Ohio State vs. Michigan Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Ohio State and Michigan match up statistically:
Michigan Offense vs. Ohio State Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 55 | 18 | |
| Line Yards | 50 | 57 | |
| Pass Success | 85 | 4 | |
| Havoc | 76 | 12 | |
| Finishing Drives | 24 | 1 | |
| Quality Drives | 98 | 1 | |
Ohio State Offense vs. Michigan Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 14 | 44 | |
| Line Yards | 8 | 38 | |
| Pass Success | 3 | 76 | |
| Havoc | 14 | 31 | |
| Finishing Drives | 11 | 65 | |
| Quality Drives | 12 | 65 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 24 | 27 |
| PFF Coverage | 81 | 12 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 14 | 17 |
| Middle 8 | 26 | 8 |
| Seconds per Play | 30.7 (130) | 28.9 (109) |
| Rush Rate | 59% (27) | 55% (56) |
How to Bet My Michigan vs. Ohio State Pick
Michigan likely won't enjoy the same success it experienced in Week 13 against Northwestern. The Wolverines utilize a heavy amount of inside zone and converted 12 of their 17 third- and fourth-down attempts against the Wildcats.
Ohio State has been better than average against inside zone, posting a season-long Success Rate of 54% against the run concept. The efficiency metric grows against man, a run concept Michigan uses as a wrinkle to zone read.
The biggest issue for Michigan is the defense's numbers against inside zone, posting a lowly 42% Success Rate against opponents using the run concept.
Henderson and quarterback Will Howard are frequent users of inside zone, as the Buckeyes have a massive 64% Success Rate with the run concept.
Expect the blue-collar run game to be on full display against the Michigan front. The Buckeyes' rank of 12th in Quality Drives should continue here.
Look for Day's motivation to continue as OSU seeks revenge for past results, the Stalions investigation and old Jim Harbaugh comments in a single game in Ohio Stadium.
Action Network's Betting Power Ratings make this game Ohio State -21, but the advantages are clearly in the Buckeyes' favor when it comes to the usage of inside zone.
The total in this game has hovered around 43 in early week wagering, as our projections place the game closer to 49. This series has seen at least 50 points in every iteration since 2012.
Pick: Ohio State -21 · Over 43
Michigan vs. Ohio State TV Channel, Start Time, Location, How to Watch
| Location: | Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH |
| Date: | Saturday, Nov. 30 |
| Kickoff Time: | 12 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | FOX |
Michigan takes on Ohio State in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 12 p.m. ET on FOX.
Michigan vs. Ohio State Betting Trends
Michigan vs. Ohio State Weather
