Skip to main content

Best Ways to Bet on Ohio State: Buckeyes Offer Promise in 2022

Henry John

Last Updated: August 20, 2022 12:00 PM EDT • 4 min 17 sec read.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud of the Ohio State Buckeyes passes to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images via AFP.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud of the Ohio State Buckeyes passes to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images via AFP.

In sports betting, sometimes the sharp play isn’t always the sexy play. As far as Ohio State’s futures market for the 2022 college football season is concerned, bettors should not shy away from laying the juice.

For many college football programs, a victory in the Rose Bowl Game would be the highlight of an exceptional season. For the Ohio State Buckeyes, playing in and ultimately winning last year’s Rose Bowl was actually the conclusion of a disappointing campaign. Such is life in Columbus, Ohio, where the expectations are national championship or bust on an annual basis.

In reality, Ohio State lost only two games last season. Of course, given that it was the program’s first two-loss season since 2017, it seemed catastrophic to the fanbase. OSU was “relegated” to playing in the Rose Bowl. The talent and depth of the program was on full display in Pasadena as the Buckeyes got past Pac-12 champ Utah despite having several eventual NFL draftees opt out of the game.

Coming into the 2022 college football season, Ohio State looks to be poised for a return to national prominence. With one of the best play-callers in the sport at head coach, a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate under center, and elite playmakers at the skill positions, the Buckeyes will be one of the best offensive teams in the country. 

Below, we look at the best ways to bet on Ohio State in the 2022 college football season (odds via BetMGM, FanDuel Sportsbook, and DraftKings Sportsbooks).

Best Bets for Ohio State in 2022

  • To win the National Championship (+320 via BetMGM)
  • To win the Big Ten Conference (-200 via FanDuel)
  • Over 10.5 regular-season wins (-250 via DraftKings)

  Check out the latest comprehensive and most trusted Sportsbook Reviews by SBR.  

2022 College Football Betting Predictions for Ohio State

To win the National Championship (+320)

Any and all reputable preseason power ratings will have one of two teams listed No. 1. The fact that Ohio State is one of those two teams means that there is a legitimate case to be made for backing the Buckeyes to win the National Championship. 

The Ohio State offense will be a pleasure to watch in 2022. Head coach Ryan Day is arguably the best offensive play-caller in all of college football. Last year, he had to usher in a new quarterback after Justin Fields moved on to the NFL. The Buckeyes will surely benefit from this being CJ Stroud’s second year as the starting QB. 

After being in the Heisman Trophy conversation throughout much of last season, Stroud enters the 2022 campaign as the betting favorite to win the award. That says a lot considering that Ohio State lost each of its top two receivers from a year ago to the NFL. Thanks to the depth of talent in Columbus, it is simply a “next man up” mentality. 

Jaxson Smith-Njigba had his official coming-out party in last year’s Rose Bowl while Marvin Harrison Jr. is also primed for a huge season. The Buckeyes also welcome back tailback TreVeyon Henderson. He will be running behind an offensive line that, despite losing two starters, will once again be among the best in the country.

There is something to be said for experience, and the Buckeyes were one of the least-experienced teams in all of FBS in 2021. While much of their Big Ten competition has declined in terms of experience with the “super-senior” class having moved on, OSU welcomes back multiple stars. It would be a shock for the Buckeyes to fall short of reaching the College Football Playoff in 2022.

To win the Big Ten Conference (-200)

At first glance, some bettors may be put off from betting on Ohio State to win the Big Ten simply because of the price. While laying -200 odds on a futures bet isn’t typically attractive, it is well worth considering in this instance.

The first point to highlight here is the Buckeyes’ conference schedule. Ohio State gets to enjoy home-field advantage against arguably its three toughest Big Ten opponents this season. Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan will all have to travel to “The Shoe” as opposed to having the Bucks come to them. 

Taking location into account, Ohio State’s toughest test of the season could be a late-October showdown against Penn State in Happy Valley. Assuming the Bucks do in fact make the conference title game, a rematch with either Wisconsin or Iowa on a neutral field seems quite likely.

This brings us to our second key point with regard to laying the -200 price on Ohio State to win the Big Ten. Regardless of who the Buckeyes meet out of the West Division in the title game, it seems pretty safe to say that they will be favored. Keep this in mind as we dive into a little bit of math.

Based on the way sports betting pricing works, moneyline odds of -200 are roughly equivalent to a point spread value of -4.5. Given that OSU would likely be favored by a minimum of 7-10 points in the conference title game, this futures price of -200 technically holds a ton of value relative to what the moneyline odds for the eventual matchup will be.

As if the schedule and mathematical value aren’t enough, it’s also worth noting that Ohio State’s odds to win the Big Ten are currently as short as -235 elsewhere in the market.

Over 10.5 regular-season wins (-250)

Much like the conference outright price above, bettors will benefit greatly from shopping around with regard to Ohio State’s regular-season win total. Presently, DraftKings is the only major U.S. sportsbook offering the team’s win total at 10.5. Once again, the heavy juice that must be laid to bet the Over appears to be worth it.

At other shops, one will find the Buckeyes’ win total set at 11 or even 11.5. While the prices are more enticing, achieving a perfect season is no easy task even for the most talented of teams. Ohio State could very well slip up once this year. Bettors who wager on the team’s win total at 11 or 11.5 would then be stuck with either a push or a losing ticket.

The fact that Ohio State would need to lose two of 12 regular season games to fall short of going over 10.5 wins makes this a tremendous future bet to make. Four of the team’s six toughest games will be played at home. In addition, the Bucks are simply power-rated well above every opponent they will face in 2022.

Where to Bet on College Football Futures

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

FanDuel Sportsbook
Caesars Sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook
PointsBet
BetMGM

Related pages

Best Sportsbooks  |  Betting Sites  |  Best Sportsbook Promos (U.S. only)  |  Ohio Sports Betting  |  Ohio Sportsbook Promos  |  Ohio Sports Betting Apps

Ways to bet on Ohio State picks made 8/19/2022 at 12:51 p.m. ET.

Written By:
Henry John
Henry’s passion for sports dates all the way back to childhood and has ultimately led to a full-fledged career as an analyst and content creator. After getting his start penning fantasy football articles, he forrayed into the betting side of the business in early 2019. His love for sports and statistics proved to be an ideal match with the dedicated research and strategy that handicapping requires. Henry currently specializes in betting analysis and picks for college football, college basketball, and NASCAR. He counts NFL, WNBA, and NBA player props as additional leagues/markets of interest. Henry graduated from SUNY Buffalo in 2021 with a Communication Studies degree and a Psychology minor. A native of the Finger Lakes region in Upstate New York, he and his pup, Harold, have since relocated to Laramie, Wyoming. Thanks to his professional goals within the sports betting industry, there has been a whole lot of steam on the odds for a move to Las Vegas in 2023! Most of Henry’s free time is spent on outdoor adventures, playing chess, snowboarding, or reading a good book. He is also a competitive powerlifter and aspires to qualify for the USAPL Nationals meet within the next 2-3 years.