The Game is finally here and, once again, the Michigan and Ohio State football seasons come down to this regular season finale. The year's game marks the 119th meeting between these powerhouse programs, with Michigan leading the all-time series 60-51-6.
This rivalry means everything to these two teams every season, but this one undoubtedly means more. The Michigan program has had to deal with the Harbaugh suspension, while Ohio State and Ryan Day look to rebound from back-to-back humiliating losses at the hands of the Wolverines.
Michigan is a 3.5 point home favorite on Saturday, with a total is set at 47 points. Here is a live look at the best odds available for both sides and the total:
Our Best Bet: Over 47 Points
These two teams have put Vegas in a bind when it comes to the total for The Game. Neither offense has looked great heading into this week.
For the Buckeyes, Kyle McCord clearly hasn't lived up to the standard that Justin Fields and CJ Stroud set in recent years. For the Wolverines, the coaching staff has elected to take the ball out of JJ McCarthy's hands for two straight weeks, leading outsiders to question if he is ready to beat this dominate Ohio State defense.
We aren't taking the bait and will gladly bet the over at 47 points. Let's start by looking at recent history for the game:
- The winning team has averaged over 51 points in the last four meetings between these two schools.
- The total for this game has not finished under 47 points since 2010.
- The game has gone over 47 points in 16 of the last 20 meetings.
We know these two offenses save their best for the game, hiding as much as possible in the weeks leading up to this matchup.
Both offenses also enter this year's game healthy.
Michigan gets it's start left tackle back after being down to their 3rd string tackle last week. They also get leading receiver Roman Wilson back after he was knocked out early against Maryland.
Ohio State has looked like a different team since the return of TreVeyon Henderson. Over the last 4 weeks, Henderson has averaged over 170 YPG, and the Buckeyes have averaged 34 PPG.
Best Player Prop: TreVeyon Henderson Over 14.5 Receiving Yards
We were shocked to see both Caesars and DraftKings hang such a low number for Henderson's receiving yards. He has gone over this number in 3 of his last 4 games, and 5 of his last 7.
He was the Buckeyes' leading receiver (80 yards) in their 35-16 win over Rutgers, and also put up 45 yards against Wisconsin.
Combine this with the fact that Michigan has two elite cover corners in Will Johnson and Mikey Sainristil, and we think Henderson could be a primary target for McCord on Saturday. It is also worth noting that Michigan's top linebacker, Junior Colson, injured his hand and will play the game with a club.
Bonus First TD Scorer: Blake Corum (+390)
This seems like a chalk bet, but let's not overthink it. Corum has scored in every game this season, has 20 rushing touchdowns in 11 games, and 7 touchdowns in his last 3 games. The Buckeyes can expect a heavy dose of Corum if Michigan gets the ball anywhere near the end zone.
