Week 7 has been circled on calendars for months now as one of the biggest college football Saturdays of the 2024 season, and for good reason.
On top of the ever-chaotic Red River Shootout between No. 1 Texas and No. 18 Oklahoma, we have a matchup between two of the top three teams in the country — and the favorites to win the Big Ten title.
At 6:30 p.m. CT (NBC) on Saturday, second-ranked Ohio State will take on No. 3 Oregon in one of the biggest regular season matchups we will get all season.
Both the Buckeyes and Ducks come into this game with a perfect 5-0 record — and, more importantly, 2-0 records in Big Ten play.
Each team has an experienced transfer quarterback leading their offenses, with Kansas State transfer Will Howard under center for Ohio State and Oklahoma transfer Dillon Gabriel calling the shots for Oregon.
With two of the most talent-laden rosters in college football, this matchup is setting up to be one of the best games of the year — and one that will draw plenty of attention from bettors.
Spread: Ohio State (-3) vs. Oregon
According to WagerTalk, the visiting Buckeyes opened as 4.0-point favorites over Oregon, but as of Wednesday morning, the line has shrunk to just 3.5 points.
Who does the money back in this matchup right now? The tickets suggest Ohio State has a slight edge in the matchup, with 54% of bettors taking the Buckeyes. However, the money is heavily in favor of the Ducks, with a whopping 79% going on Oregon.
Over/Under: 53.5 Points
The Over/Under has been interesting for this game, too. After opening up at 51.5 points, it is now set at 53.5, as 77% of the tickets have taken the under while the over has the edge in money at 52%.
ESPN’s Matchup Predictor: Ohio State (64.2%)
ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Ohio State a 64.2% chance to win the game and Oregon just a 35.8% chance.
Best Bet: Under 53.5 Points
The best bet to take on this game is the under, which has climbed to nearly 54 points. Both Oregon and Ohio State have shown a propensity to score less points than we expected at the beginning of the season, but the real reason to take the under here is on the defensive side of the ball.
Ohio State’s defense just might be the best unit in the country from top to bottom, while Oregon is strong on that side of the ball. Couple that with the Buckeyes having to play in what should be the most hostile environment they see all season, and this game screams low-scoring affair.
