Ohio State vs. Indiana Week 8 College Football Picks: Will Buckeyes Keep Rolling?

Ohio State enters Saturday night’s Big Ten clash with Indiana as a massive favorite. We look at whether the Hoosiers will be able to cover the lopsided spread against the Buckeyes as part of our Ohio State vs. Indiana picks.

When Ohio State lost to Oregon in Week 2, many thought their College Football Playoff hopes were eviscerated. Don’t look now, but the Buckeyes’ playoff chances are very much alive, as they have won their last four games by an average of 40.25 points per game. 

Ohio State benefits from coming off a bye week, while Indiana is playing a top-10 team for the third consecutive week. The Buckeyes enter at 3-2-1 against the spread; the Hoosiers covered in just one of their first six games. However, Indiana has covered the spread in eight of the last 10 head-to-head meetings. 

Here are my picks and predictions for the College Football Week 8 matchup between Ohio State and Indiana (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook).

Ohio State vs. Indiana Game Info

Date/Time: Saturday, October 23, 7:30 PM ET.TV: ABCLocation: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, INWeather: Low of 45 degrees, partly cloudy

Ohio State vs. Indiana Odds Analysis

Ohio State won its first three conference games by 34 PPG. Indiana is 1-2 straight up at home but 12-5 ATS in its last 17 games against teams with a winning record.

The Over cashed in each of the last four meetings between these teams and is 4-1-1 in their previous six meetings in Indiana. The Over is 8-3-2 in Ohio State’s last 13 games overall, while the Under cashed in Indiana’s last five conference games.

Ohio State vs. Indiana Betting Picks

Ohio State -21 (-105)Under 60.5 (-110)

SEE ALSO: 3 college football betting trends for Week 8

Ohio State vs. Indiana Betting Predictions

Ohio State -21 (-105)

Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud has thrown for 1,699 yards (fifth in the Big Ten) and has the conference’s best TD:INT ratio at 18:3. In addition, his 191.2 passer rating is the best in the Big Ten by a wide margin. Stroud appears fully recovered from 

a shoulder injury, and should continue to gain confidence as he gets more comfortable in the Ohio State system. 

There is a clear mismatch on the offensive side of the ball in this game. Ohio State’s 562.7 yards per game lead the country, while Indiana ranks 12th in the conference in the same category, with 340.0 YPG. 

The Buckeyes are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games against a team with a losing record and will take advantage of a weary Hoosiers side playing their third consecutive top-10 opponent.

Under 60.5 (-110)

While Indiana’s defense has allowed a respectable 331.7 YPG to rank seventh in the conference, it has had difficulty keeping opponents off the scoreboard. The Hoosiers are allowing the second-most points per game in the Big Ten. More concerning about Indiana’s scoring defense is their three conference opponents have been Iowa, Penn State, and Michigan State. Only one of those teams ranks in the top five in the conference in scoring. 

Ohio State has had issues defensively this year. The Buckeyes rank 10th in the conference in total defense and 39th in the country in scoring defense with 20.5 PPG allowed. However, Inthe Hoosiers cannot challenge the Buckeyes where they are most vulnerable. Indiana averages just 124.2 yards per game on the ground and has scored just one offensive touchdown through three conference games. 

Indiana’s offense looks limited under QB Jack Tuttle, who has replaced the injured Michael Penix Jr. Indiana has scored touchdowns on just 12 of 24 red zone trips this year, which will not cut it against an offense as explosive as Ohio State’s. 

Indiana’s offensive deficiencies will be the main reason this game stays under the projected total.

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