The Ohio State Buckeyes (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) will visit Wrigley Field to square off against the Northwestern Wildcats (4-5, 2-4) in Week 12 Big Ten action.
Northwestern’s football stadium is being renovated, so this should be a fun matchup at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs.
The Wildcats are coming off a 26-20 win over Purdue in overtime before a bye week, while the Buckeyes are also coming off a 45-0 demolition of the Boilermakers.
Ohio State enters this one as a 28.5-point favorite on the spread with a 44-point over/under.
Read on for our Ohio State vs Northwestern predictions and college football picks.
Ohio State vs Northwestern Prediction
My Ohio State vs Northwestern best bet is on the under, with the best line available at bet365 Sportsbook.
Ohio State vs Northwestern Odds
| Ohio State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-28.5 -110 | 44 -110 / -110 | -8000 |
| Northwestern Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+28.5 -110 | 44 -110 / -110 | +1800 |
- Ohio State vs Northwestern Point Spread: Ohio State -28.5 (-110) · Northwestern +28.5 (-110)
- Ohio State vs Northwestern Total: Over/Under 44
- Ohio State vs Northwestern Moneyline: Ohio State -8000 · Northwestern +1800
Ohio State vs Northwestern Preview
Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Preview: Vanilla Game Plan
Despite winning all the games he is supposed to win, Ryan Day seems to live on the hot seat for his inability to win big games thus far.
This isn't a big game, and I expect his team to be ready on Saturday, although he may not show much with a big matchup against Indiana next weekend.
Quarterback Will Howard leads the Buckeyes' offense, which is averaging a whopping 44 points per game this year. The TreyVon Henderson-Quinshon Judkins running back duo has made his life easier by combining for over 1,200 yards — the Bucks rank 10th nationally in Rush Success Rate and 22nd in Rush Explosiveness.
I expect Ohio State to lean on its rushing attack in a vanilla game plan.
The Buckeyes defense is still strong, allowing only 21 points and 320 yards per game. They put pressure on opposing offenses, ranking 15th nationally in Havoc, ninth in Success Rate allowed and 10th in Explosiveness allowed.
Northwestern Wildcats Betting Preview: Defense Should Hang Tough
Coach David Braun is in his second season in Evanston but hasn't replicated last year's success. He's got three remaining games to get his team to bowl eligibility.
Quarterback Jack Lausch has been fine since taking over under center, throwing for five touchdowns with four interceptions. The Wildcats don't score a ton, averaging 19 points per game, and are generally better on the ground (73rd nationally in Rush Success Rate) than through the air (89th in Pass Success Rate.
Either way, the Wildcats' offense isn't great, and they'll likely struggle against an elite defense.
But the Wildcats are a solid defense, allowing 21 points per game while ranking 22nd nationally in Rush Success Rate allowed and third in Rush Explosiveness allowed. They'll be tested against a strong one-two running back punch, but they can hang tough.
Ohio State vs Northwestern
Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Ohio State and Northwestern match up statistically:
Ohio State Offense vs. Northwestern Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 7 | 48 | |
| Line Yards | 7 | 53 | |
| Pass Success | 2 | 66 | |
| Havoc | 22 | 70 | |
| Finishing Drives | 9 | 22 | |
| Quality Drives | 23 | 37 | |
Northwestern Offense vs. Ohio State Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 119 | 15 | |
| Line Yards | 129 | 72 | |
| Pass Success | 119 | 5 | |
| Havoc | 93 | 13 | |
| Finishing Drives | 118 | 1 | |
| Quality Drives | 116 | 2 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 45 | 98 |
| PFF Coverage | 7 | 46 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 21 | 92 |
| Middle 8 | 34 | 110 |
| Seconds per Play | 28.6 (102) | 29.3 (116) |
| Rush Rate | 55% (55) | 50% (90) |
Ohio State vs Northwestern Pick & Prediction
In what should be a windy day at Wrigley Field, I figure both teams will likely try to stick to the ground game.
I suspect Northwestern will struggle to score, and the Buckeyes will not run up the score in this one, given the Indiana matchup next week.
Pick: Under 44 (-110, bet365)
Ohio State vs Northwestern Start Time, Channel, Streaming, How To Watch
| Location: | Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL |
| Date: | Saturday, Nov. 16 |
| Kickoff Time: | 12 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | Big Ten Network |
Ohio State vs Northwestern will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL, on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 12 p.m. ET. You can stream the game live on Big Ten Network.
