At the highest level of college football, only one game carries the tradition and prestige necessary for it to be nicknamed “The Game.” Regardless of their year-to-year levels of success, Ohio State and Michigan are locked in a bitter rivalry that dates back to the 1900s.

That rivalry resumes Saturday at noon ET, when Michigan hosts Ohio State in a game that will keep one team in the College Football Playoff hunt. The latest college football odds have the Buckeyes as 7.5-point favorites and -310 moneyline chalk.

Michigan hasn’t won in this rivalry in a decade, but now would be a great time to turn that around. Then again, Ohio State has looked unstoppable in recent weeks, with a Heisman hopeful and a stable of NFL-ready receivers in tow. Find our college football picks and preview for this mega matchup in the article below.

Odds subject to change.

5 Keys to Michigan vs Ohio State

A decade of dominance: Everyone on the current Michigan football team was in middle school the last time the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes in this rivalry game. That was in 2011, a 40-34 Michigan victory led by a five-touchdown performance from Denard Robinson.

Top-10 battles: Football is always about offense versus defense, but in this case the headline battle is the Buckeyes’ offense facing the Wolverines’ defense. Ohio State is first in the nation in scoring (47.2 points/game) and yards (559.8 yards/game), while Michigan ranks seventh in points allowed (16.3/game) and ninth in yards allowed (306.6/game).

The critically common foe: One of the greatest points in Ohio State’s favor is the way the Buckeyes dismantled Michigan State, 56-7. Ohio State found the end zone in each of its first six possessions. The game was never close. Last month, Michigan squandered a 16-point, second-half lead against Michigan State to lose on the road, 37-33.

Buckeyes’ slimmest spread: This is the first time all season that betting apps have Ohio State as a single-digit favorite. In every other game, the Buckeyes have been favored by at least two touchdowns. On the other side, this is the largest underdog cushion Michigan has seen since it was a nine-point underdog against Ohio State two seasons ago.

Corum’s status trending in right direction: Michigan running back Blake Corum (ankle) is questionable, but reports indicate he could be ready to play. Corum was available last week, and took part in warmups, but he didn’t receive any touches. He has 915 scrimmage yards and 11 total touchdowns in nine games this season.

Michigan vs. Ohio State Weather Forecast

Grab an extra layer or two: Saturday’s high in Ann Arbor will be in the mid-30s, with mainly sunny skies and a low chance of precipitation.

Michigan vs Ohio State Moneyline

Just look at the past 10 years of data - what do you see? Well, you don’t see a Michigan win, that’s for sure. Building up that kind of reputation in a rivalry game makes it difficult for bettors to know when the tide might turn.

We’re taking Ohio State on the moneyline. What they did to Michigan State last week was a major statement. What they’ve done to every opponent since the Oregon loss is a handful of statements, too. The Buckeyes have the best offense in the country, and we’ll take that with -320 college football betting odds.

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Michigan vs Ohio State Point Spread

For the third time since 2016, Michigan enters its end-of-season rivalry game with a chance to stay in the College Football Playoff race. Both 2016 and 2018 iterations of The Game ended in losses, but the former was a three-point heartbreaker - the latter was a 23-point bludgeoning.

We expect another tight one this time around, even as the line shifted from 7.5 to 8.5 at sportsbooks early in the week. The Wolverines are 9-2-0 against the spread this year, and we like them to cover again. Grab Michigan +8 (-105) at DraftKings.

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Michigan vs Ohio State Totals

Each of the past seven matchups between Michigan and Ohio State has hit the over. Then again, none of them had point totals anywhere near 64.5 (the closest was 57, back in 2013). If the Wolverines are able to cover the spread, we expect it’s because their defense did enough to keep this game under its bloated point total.

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