College Football Week 1: Marshall vs Ohio State Odds
College football week 1 opening night will include a Big Ten Network match-up between the Marshall Thundering Herd vs the Ohio State Buckeyes
. Kick-off from the Horseshoe is set for 7:35pm EST and online sportsbooks have opened with Ohio State as a 28.5-point favorite with an over/under college football betting total of 46.5. Ohio State football is being touted as a potential national championship team in 2011 Vegas odds and the favorite to win the Big Ten Conference in college football predictions. Fresh off a Rose Bowl winning season and with 9 starters back on offense led by junior quarterback Terrelle Pryor the Buckeyes are loaded and should improve on their 29 PPG of 2009.
The defense returns 6 starters and has held opponents to under 14 PPG the past 4 seasons. The Buckeyes were 4-2 against the spread in college football odds as home favorites last year and 4-1 ATS vs non conference opponents. Pryor led the Bucks in rushing with 1,014 yards and his passing improved down the stretch as did his leadership and confidence. He passed for 2,094 yards and 18 touchdowns. His top 4 targets return led by junior Devier Posey, who had 828 yards and 8 TD's last year.
Marshall is from Conference USA and is coming off a 7-6 bowl season but fired former Buckeye assistant Mark Snyder anyway after a tough 5-year rebuilding effort as head coach. The Thundering Herd hired longtime West Virginia assistant and recruiting ace Doc Holliday to take them to the next level. Snyder did not leave the cupboard bare as 7 starters return on both sides of the line. Marshall has been a poor value in Vegas college football odds through the years as a road underdog as they have gone 13-25 against the spread in that role since 2000. They have also covered just 3 out of 14 non conference games the past 4 seasons.
College Football Week 1: Marshall vs Ohio State Odds