Big Ten Best Bets for Week 1: Matchups, Odds, Picks, and Predictions

The Big Ten returns for a full slate of action after the likes of Illinois and Northwestern already got the conference in the win column during week 0. Here are our best bets for the Big Ten in Week 1.

Ohio State starts their season in a top-five ranked match-up to kick off Week 1, while the likes of Penn State and Indiana start off their seasons with tricky conference opponent games.

Here are our best bets for Week 1’s Big Ten slate (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, and PointsBet; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Big Ten Week 1 Schedule and Odds

(odds via DraftKings Sportsbook)

Penn State (-170) vs. Purdue (+145)
No. 15 Michigan State (-1650) vs. Western Michigan (+950)
Illinois (+135) vs. Indiana (-155)
No. 8 Michigan (-8000) vs. Colorado State (+2000)
Iowa (+100) vs. South Dakota State (+275)
Maryland (-2400) vs. Buffalo (+1200)
Rutgers (+235) vs. Boston College (-280)
No. 2 Ohio State (-800) vs. No. 5 Notre Dame (+575)

Big Ten Week 1 Best Bets

• Moneyline: Illinois (+135 via DraftKings) vs. Indiana ★★★★
• Spread: Maryland -23.5 (-110 via FanDuel) vs. Buffalo ★★★
• Total: Ohio State-Notre Dame Under 58.5 (-110 via FanDuel) ★★★★
• Upset: Purdue (+145 via PointsBet) vs. Penn State ★★★
• Prop bet: Chase Brown Over 102.5 rushing yards (-115 via DraftKings) ★★★

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Big Ten Week 1 Top Picks

Moneyline: Illinois (+135)

Illinois gets the upper hand here, coming into the game 1-0 after a 38-6 Week 0 victory over Wyoming. Running back Chase Brown tallied 151 yards and two touchdowns while quarterback Tommy Devito threw for 194 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Illinois allowed just six points and 212 yards, as Jartavius Martin led the Illinois Fighting Illini with seven tackles.

As for Indiana, they finished their 2021 campaign with an underwhelming 2-10 record and allowed an average of 33.3 points and 384.1 yards per game. On top of that, they only managed to score an average of 17.3 points and 289.7 yards per game. Missouri transfer Connor Bazelak is the probable starter at QB, who tallied 16 passing touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season.

Illinois has already had a red-hot start to their year with a win under their bet. Indiana are the home favorites but have a lot of questions regarding their roster and chemistry, which clears the way for the Fighting Illini to grab another win on the road.

Spread: Maryland -23.5 (-110) 

Taulia Tagovailoa returns to the field equipped with NFL-caliber receivers Rakim Jarrett and Dontay Demus Jr., plus one of the best offensive lines the Maryland program has had in years. Tagovailoa threw for 3,860 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, while Jarrett and Demus Jr. combined for over 1,300 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021. All three are returning to have one of the most loaded offensive teams in the conference.

Buffalo lost RB Dylan McDuffie and need more stability from their QB, but have defensive weapons with returners like James Patterson who led Buffalo with 114 tackles, and Daymond Williams who tallied 6.5 sacks.

A defense that needs improving from 2021 to be able to shut out their MAC opponent in Buffalo is the only concern for Maryland heading into their season opener. While Maryland will have to face some of the best defenders they will all year, their pro-level offense combined with the fact Buffalo will have a lower level of offensive production means that Maryland will cover the spread easily.

Total: Ohio State-Notre Dame Under 58.5 (-110)

Ohio State may face their toughest test in Week 1 this year. After their loss against Oregon Week 2 derailed their season, they are coming into 2022 with revenge on their mind and to reclaim the top of the Big Ten.

Two of the best players from 2021 return to Ohio State, with QB C.J. Stroud and WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba both suiting up for the Buckeyes, as well as RB TreVeyon Henderson returning after breaking multiple rookie rushing records. Their issue last year was their defense, but after nabbing Jim Knowles from Oklahoma State to be their defensive coordinator, their defense will be in much better shape than prior and will allow less than 296 points this season.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman returns to his alma mater as the opposition this time. After Notre Dame didn’t make the playoff and lost head coach Brian Kelly to LSU, they’ll be playing with a chip on their shoulder and won’t make it easy for the Buckeyes. With Jack Coan no longer at Notre Dame, they will be relying on Tyler Buchner and Drew Pyne, who won’t put up the same numbers through the air as Coan did.

Ohio State already had a top-10 offense with most returning for 2022, and now bolstered their coaching staff and recruiting to have a top-10 defense to match. While Notre Dame looks to keep it close, the Buckeyes want to not only run away with scoring but also keep Notre Dame off the scoreboard to result in the Under hitting.

Upset: Purdue (+145)

Penn State are another team that lost one of their best weapons in Jahan Dotson, and while Sean Clifford returns at QB, they were the 115th worst rushing team in yards per attempt (2.8) last season and 98th in yards per pass.

Purdue lost their best WR in David Bell but saw more efficiency in their offense with Aidan O’Connell under center. They won nine games last season including an upset of a then-ranked No. 9 Michigan State team as well as over a No. 23-ranked Iowa. Always having talent on defense, Purdue did lose defensive end George Karlaftis but has Kydran Jenkins to potentially be the answer after recording five sacks last season.

The Boilermakers are known for upsetting teams, and going up against Penn State who are unsure in their offense will turn out to be an easy feat.

Prop bet: Chase Brown Over 102.5 Rushing Yards (-115)

Brown already cemented himself into Fighting Illini history just one game into the season as he became the first non-quarterback since 2011 to score three touchdowns in a game for Illinois.

He started his 2022 campaign with 151 yards on 19 carries and three total touchdowns. Leading the team last year with 1,005 yards rushing and five touchdowns on 170 carries, Brown was also good for fourth in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game averaging 100.5.

Indiana’s defense allowed an average of 148.1 rushing yards per game last season, and with Brown single-handedly powering Illinois’ run game against a lackluster rush defense, he’ll have no trouble going Over 102.5 yards.

Where To Bet on Big Ten Week 1 College Football

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

FanDuel Sportsbook
Caesars Sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook
PointsBet
BetMGM

SEE ALSO: All picks, odds, and sports betting news. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.

Big Ten Week 1 picks made on 8/29/2022 at 3:45 p.m. ET.