Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Ohio State Buckeyes Point Spread Picks

This will be a tough matchup for Nebraska and its freshman QB Dylan Raiola (9 TDs, 6 INTs). The ground attack averages 3.7 yards per carry. They've scored 21 total points in the last two games, coming off a 56-7 loss at Indiana. Ohio State comes home from its first loss, a 32-31 defeat at Oregon. New offensive coordinator Chip Kelly runs an attack that is fifth in the country in scoring (43.5 points per game) and total yards (503.2). And the defense is second in the nation in points given up (11 per game). Ohio State has won 23 of its last 25 at home and is on an 11-4-1 ATS run in the Horseshoe. Play Ohio State. 

Ohio State comes off a 33-24 win over Penn State as a 19-point favorite. It was 27-24 going into the fourth quarter, and the Buckeyes defense is still a concern after allowing 361 yards passing, and Ohio State is 2-7-1 ATS after allowing 280+ yards passing in their last game. Nebraska is a big home dog, but it's capable of attacking the Ohio State defense with mobile QB Adrian Martinez (12 TDs, 7 INTs), while RB Rahmir Johnson (433 yards, 4.5 yards per carry) leads a ground attack that averages 4.8 per carry. The team is playing hard for coach Scott Frost, who is on the hot seat. They've lost three in a row, but all were by 3, 7, and 5 points. Nebraska is 25-12 ATS after a game where they committed 4 or more turnovers, plus 36-19 ATS against teams with a turnover margin of plus-one or greater. Play Nebraska.

Ohio State has another powerhouse defense, second in the country allowing 171 total yards per game and just nine points per contest. The ground game is churning out 260 yards per game, good for #15 in the nation. They head to Nebraska, a squad that plays its best defense at home, allowing 14.5 points per game in two home contests. And the Cornhuskers have gone UNDER the total in four of their last five home games. Back the UNDER.

The Nebraska defense has been under siege since Bob Diaco was the defensive coordinator last year. He was fired and replaced and the numbers look pretty bad. That being said, the Cornhuskers actually grade out even in yards per play allowed vs. a schedule of teams they have faced so a lot of negative scoring variance here. The Ohio State offense isn't exactly dominating. They have been held to 30 in fewer points in three of their last four games. The Buckeyes' defense has been considerably worse than what we have seen from them over the past several years, but Urban Meyer teams allow just 18.4 points per game when coming off a bye. I don't think this one gets there, so play on the UNDER.