It’s another week in the Big Ten, and there has been another postponed game: Minnesota and Wisconsin will not play due to a COVID-19 complication. Ohio State has had a developing COVID-19 situation. Stay posted on the latest NCAAF Covid-19 news here to see if the Buckeyes’ Saturday game against Illinois is played or not. With those news items in mind, let’s look at the games still currently scheduled to be played as well as the online betting lines for the NCAAF Week 13 Big Ten matchups.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs Purdue Boilermakers
NCAAF Week 13 Big Ten Matchup Odds: Purdue -2.5
This is a very difficult game to predict. Rutgers almost beat Michigan. That might seem impressive, but Michigan was a 1-3 team which played poorly in the first half, and Rutgers blew a 17-point lead. The Scarlet Knights had a chance to win in overtime – all they needed was a field goal – but they played conservatively, lost a few yards, and missed a medium-long field goal. Michigan then won a few moments later.
Rutgers is not the terrible Big Ten team it was last season, when the Scarlet Knights were doormat and got crushed every week. Yet, Rutgers’ early-season win over Michigan State did not indicate a substantial rise. Rutgers was picked off by Illinois at home and has struggled ever since the Michigan State win.
Put Rutgers up against a Purdue team which should have beaten Minnesota but committed several big mistakes. The Boilermakers were wronged by a very bad offensive pass interference call in the final minutes. That call wiped out what would have been a go-ahead touchdown. Yet, the game shouldn’t have come down to that one call. Purdue was wildly inconsistent on both sides of the ball and has not shown that it can be steady and dependable. Both teams here are fragile. Neither team inspires a lot of confidence. The good news for Purdue: Rondale Moore, their best and most skilled offensive player, is back. That could make the difference on Saturday.
Ohio State Buckeyes vs Illinois Fighting Illini
Sportsbook Odds: Ohio State -27.5
This is a game which might not be played due to COVID-19 problems at Ohio State, but if the game is able to be played, the Buckeyes – after getting a mild scare from Indiana in a game they won by only seven points – should be much sharper and crisper. Ohio State was sloppy against Indiana’s defense, with Heisman Trophy contender Justin Fields committing three turnovers. They also made a number of highly questionable decisions with the ball.
The Buckeyes figure to be a lot more efficient and responsible against an Illinois defense which isn’t nearly as good as Indiana’s. Ohio State knows it needs to be a lot sharper if it wants to compete with the elite teams in the country in the College Football Playoff. The other big concern for OSU: Indiana completed several passes of more than 30 yards. The Buckeye secondary has a lot of work to do this week.
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Iowa Hawkeyes
Odds: Iowa -13.5
When Nebraska beat Penn State, there was hope that Nebraska might have been on the way up, and that problems were getting solved in Lincoln. Instead, coach Scott Frost watched his Huskers lay an egg against Illinois. Nebraska was soundly thrashed by the Illini at home on a day when the Huskers played terrible defense and played most of the game when trailing by at least three scores. That was a complete face-plant from Nebraska, which gives the Huskers no reason to think they’re going to compete with Iowa in this Friday game.
Iowa has had its ups and downs this season. Blowing a 17-point home lead to Northwestern is a loss which will stick with this team. However, the Hawkeyes have won road games at Minnesota and Penn State and have to feel relatively good about where they are. If Nebraska can’t make significant improvements on defense, Iowa should cruise to a relatively comfortable victory.
Penn State Nittany Lions vs Michigan Wolverines
College Football Odds: Michigan -2
The most surprising “bad game of the year” in college football is here. Penn State and Michigan were both expected to be nationally-ranked teams at this point in the season. The Nittany Lions were supposed to be a real threat in the race for the Big Ten East Division title. Michigan wasn’t supposed to be spectacular, but the Wolverines were expected to win at least seven games. Perhaps even win eight games, and gain a good bowl bid. Instead, Penn State is 0-5 and Michigan – with Ohio State still on the schedule – already has three losses. Michigan will have to fight hard just to have a winning record this season. Michigan could easily finish at .500 for the year, and if it loses this game, it could finish with a losing record.
What will decide this game are the quarterbacks. Both coaches have switched quarterbacks over the past week. Penn State has gone back and forth between Sean Clifford and Will Levis. Michigan started Joe Milton last week. But, head coach Jim Harbaugh – down 17-0 to Rutgers – pulled him in favor of Cade McNamara, who led the comeback. McNamara will get a chance to start against Penn State. How he and Penn State’s quarterbacks perform will probably tell the story. Which man plays better is anyone’s guess. This is a College Football betting toss-up.
Northwestern Wildcats vs Michigan State Spartans
Odds: Northwestern -13.5
The Northwestern Wildcats don’t have a great offense, but they do have a great defense. They limited Maryland’s high-octane attack to three points in their season opener. The Wildcats came back from a 17-point deficit to shut out Iowa in the second half and earn a comeback victory on the road. The Northwestern Wildcats smothered Wisconsin’s diverse and balanced offense, limiting the Badgers to just seven points this past weekend. Northwestern probably has the best defense in the Big Ten, so even though Northwestern’s offense hasn’t put up huge numbers, the Wildcats should still be able to wear down Michigan State and overpower the Spartans in the trenches.
Maryland Terrapins vs Indiana Hoosiers
Odds: Indiana -12
This is the sneaky-good Big Ten game of the week. The Indiana Hoosiers didn’t beat Ohio State. However, they played the Buckeyes close, losing by only seven after having a chance to tie the game late. Indiana forced three Ohio State turnovers and made a lot of big plays in the passing game. Indiana lost a game but probably gained a lot of respect from a lot of football analysts. Maryland has been good ever since it lost to Northwestern in the season opener. Taulia Tagovailoa, younger brother of Tua Tagovailoa, has rapidly improved for the Maryland offense. The Indiana defense represents a tough test. It will be fascinating to see how prepared Tua’s younger brother will be for the occasion.
