Ohio State remains the No. 1 team in the country in this week’s AP Poll but the 7-0 Buckeyes have not rewarded their betting backers enough going 2-5 ATS. The Buckeyes are laying big road chalk this week against 3-3 Rutgers, who returns home following a stunning 55-52 upset at Indiana in a game the Scarlet Knights trailed 52-27.
WHEN RUTGERS HAS THE BALL
Rutgers has passed the ball a league-low 180 times in six games but have the best pass efficiency in the Big Ten. Senior receiver Leonte Carroo is a game breaker on the outside with nine touchdowns and nearly 500 receiving yards in four games. Ohio State had five sacks last week against Penn State and pressured the quarterback all game long. The Buckeyes have the league’s best pass defense allowing just 143 passing yards per game on 46 percent completions with a league-high 8 interceptions.
Rutgers will try to control the ball, clock and chains on the ground, and Ohio State is more vulnerable against the run allowing 153 rushing yards per game.
The Scarlet Knights rush for 199 yards per game with Robert Martin and Josh Hicks both over 400 rushing yards and senior Paul James adding nearly 300 rushing yards. Against two better run defenses, the Knights had 143 and 43 rushing yards against Michigan State and Penn State with quarterback Chris Laviano sacked five times for negative rush yards against Penn State.
WHEN OHIO STATE HAS THE BALL
The Buckeyes have the Big Ten’s No. 2 offense with balance rushing for 242 yards per game at nearly 6.0 yards per rush while passing for 213 per game at 7.7 yards per pass. Quarterback J.T. Barrett will start this week after sparking Ohio State last week off the bench.
He was last season’s starter and passed for over 2,800 yards and 34 touchdowns and should be salivating taking on this Rutgers deficient defense. The Rutgers defense is one of the worst in the league allowing 447 yards per game at 6.6 yards per play including 321 passing yards per game at 8.5 yards per pass. Those numbers put Rutgers last in the league in defensive efficiency.
Ezekiel Elliott has rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns and will surpass his 141 rushing yards per game in this contest while Barrett adds another strong running dimension to the offense.
LIVE BETTING SCENARIO AND TRENDS
The Buckeyes have won 20-straight games, but as a favorite of 20 or more points they are 0-7 ATS in their last seven tries. Rutgers is 6-1 ATS as a home ‘Dog of eight or more points including the 31-24 loss to Michigan State on this field October 10 when they also got double-digits.
The Buckeye’s may have just two ATS covers for their betting backers, but Ohio State’s stat profile is still strong. The Buckeye’s score 37 points per game and out-gain opponents by 153 yards per game. In the last two games, the Buckeyes have scored 10 touchdowns in 11 red zone opportunities. Look for them to roll on the road as Rutgers was gashed for 627 yards by Indiana last week but pulled off a miraculous comeback win against an awful Hoosiers pass defense.
Rutgers coach Kyle Flood is back on the sidelines following a 3-game suspension, but he won’t enjoy this Buckeyes beating. Ohio State’s 34-27 win at Indiana was only close due to three Buckeyes turnovers while forcing none against the Hoosiers.
The Buckeyes buried the Scarlet Knights last season 56-21 after allowing nearly 600 yards and over 8.0 yards per play. Live betting should allow you to keep betting the Buckeyes and a team total ‘over’ on Ohio State is a worthy wager as 40 points should come easily.
While the ‘under’ is 5-1 in the Buckeyes last six games, don’t hesitate on betting on more scoring even if there’s a slow start to the game. Ohio State team totals look like the best bets, and recall they scored 42 on the road at Virginia Tech while out-gaining the Hokies by over 250 yards. The Buckeyes have a bye on deck and will hold nothing back in another rout of the Scarlet Knights.
The college football lines for this contest were first released by BookMaker and the Ohio State Buckeyes were positioned as 21-point favorites. Gamble on the game between every commercial break with BookMaker’s live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen on the next play or how many points will be scored in the next quarter. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The Ohio State Buckeyes and Rutgers Scarlet Knights square off on Saturday, October 24, 2015, at 8:00 p.m. ET at High Point Solutions Stadium. The matchup will be televised live on ABC.
