Sportsbook Big 10 Gambling Preview | Betting Odds

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NCAAF: Big Bully in the Big Ten

The Ohio State Buckeyes have been the ‘big bully’ of the Big Ten conference in recent years, but several other teams believe this is their year.



Sportsbook.com will be previewing all the major conferences leading up to the first college game of the year in late August. Note that Odds-to-Win the Big Ten are listed in parenthesis.

Ohio State Buckeyes (1:2)

2007 Record: 11-2, 7-1 Big Ten
2008 Over/Under in Wins: 10.5

Ohio State’s national reputation has taken a hit with blowout losses in the national championship game two consecutive years, but they are a heavy favorite to win the Big Ten title for the 4th year in a row. OSU has a huge non-conference test at USC on September 13th and Sportsbook.com already has odds with the Trojans favored by 5.5 points.

The Buckeyes have a steady but unspectacular offense led by running back, Chris Wells. Senior quarterback Todd Boeckman is back to lead the ship. Their top-ranked defense is mostly in tack with linebacker James Laurinaitis and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins spurning the NFL for another shot at a title.

Wisconsin Badgers (3:1)

2007 Record: 9-4, 5-3 Big Ten
2008 Over/Under in Wins: 9

The Badgers play at Michigan but get to host Ohio State and Penn State. Those games come in consecutive weeks, which could make or break their conference title chances. There is some uncertainty at quarterback, but look for senior Allan Evridge to emerge as the starter. He had a few starts for Kansas State in 2005 before transferring.

Evridge will be helped by a potent running attack led by P.J. Hill. Hill has had some injury problems but there are several capable backups behind him. The Wisconsin defense remains consistently solid under head coach Brett Bielema, and this year should be no different even though several starters are recovering from injuries.

Illinois Fighting Illini (5:1)

2007 Record: 9-4, 6-2 Big Ten
2008 Over/Under in Wins: 7

Illinois and Coach Ron Zook really made a name for themselves last year with an appearance in the Rose Bowl against USC. That enthusiasm was tempered a bit after a 49-17 blowout, but they are ready to compete for the Big Ten title.

Quarterback Juice Williams really improved his play at the end of last season, but how will he fare without running back Rashard Mendenhall behind him? The defense had to replace a handful of starters but there is plenty of talent to choose from. The Illini look like good value for an ‘Over’ in their win total this year.

Penn State Nittany Lions (5:1)

2007 Record: 9-4, 4-4 Big Ten
2008 Over/Under in Wins: 9

The Joe Paterno era is still going strong, but some of the natives have started to get restless. ‘JoePa’ needs another season like 2005 when he and the Lions shared the Big Ten title with Ohio State, temporarily getting the critics off his back. If their quarterback situation pans out nicely, they should be in the mix again this year.

Junior quarterback Daryll Clark is expected to be the starter, but sophomore Pat Devlin should also see time. They will be aided by a solid offensive line and a trio of senior receivers. The strength on the defense this year is on the line and the secondary; not the usual at ‘Linebacker-U’.

Michigan Wolverines (11:2)

2007 Record: 9-4, 6-2 Big Ten
2008 Over/Under in Wins: 7.5

How is it possible that Michigan is ranked behind Wiscosin, Illinois and Penn State to win the Big Ten? Well, start with the fact they lost both quarterback Chad Henne and running back Mike Hart to the NFL along with number one overall pick, tackle Jake Long.

Coach Rich Rodriguez came over from West Virginia to replace Lloyd Carr. Rodriguez was tremendously successful at WVU, but it will take time to develop his spread offense with new players. The defense looks very good, but it might not be enough to overcome a rebuilding year, putting their Over/Under win total in major jeopardy.

Big Ten Field

Iowa is at 10:1 odds as coach Kirk Ferentz continues to disappoint a fan base that expected more out of him. With the most talented signal caller in the conference, senior Curtis Painter, Purdue is a good value at 12:1.

Michigan State is another value selection at 12:1, especially with running back Javon Ringer poised for another big season. Northwestern (25:1) can score but can they stop anyone? Indiana (30:1) and Minnesota (50:1) are long shots.