2022-23 Big Ten College Football Betting Breakdown

Ohio State is a massive favorite to win the Big Ten this upcoming season but will have to go through Michigan and Penn State. Plus, full conference odds.

The 2022 Big Ten championship is expected to again go through the East Division.

Ohio State, which has won four of the last five Big Ten titles, is a prohibitive -250 favorite at SI Sportsbook to add more hardware in 2022. The Buckeyes also own the third-best odds to win the national championship at SI Sportsbook at +350 odds, behind only SEC power Alabama and defending national champion Georgia.

Michigan, the defending Big Ten champion, is a distant second choice to go back-to-back at +800 odds. The Wolverines return a potent offense but have several holes to fill on the defensive side of the ball after losing seven starters to the NFL.

In the West division, bettors find a more wide-open side of the conference with every team above double-digit odds. Iowa won the division last season, but Wisconsin, Nebraska and Minnesota appear poised to contend for the crown.

College Football Betting Previews: SEC

2022-23 Big Ten Championship Odds

Ohio State -250
Michigan +800
Penn State +900
Wisconsin +1400
Nebraska +1400
Minnesota +1600
Iowa +1600
Purdue +2500
Michigan State +2500
Indiana +3300
Rutgers +10000
Northwestern +10000
Maryland +10000
Illinois +15000

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TOP CONTENDERS: Ohio State, Michigan to Battle

Ohio State Buckeyes (-250)

2022-23 NCAA championship odds: +350 (Third)
Regular-season betting win total: 10.5

Head coach: Ryan Day
Key players: QB C.J. Stroud, RB TreVeyon Henderson, WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
2021 records: 11-2 straight-up (SU) / 6-6-1 against the spread (ATS)

The Big Ten championship in 2022 goes through the East Division thanks to the talents of quarterback C.J. Stroud, who tossed 44 touchdown last season.

Despite losing star wideouts and first-round picks Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave to the NFL, the Buckeyes will not miss a beat as Stroud—the favorite to win this year’s Heisman Trophy—combines with running back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba to form arguably the best offensive trio in the country.

Bettors will need to lay the wood in every game this season as Ryan Day’s squad is double-digit favorites against every opponent - including the big showdown with defending Big Ten champion Michigan.

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Ohio State opens its 2022 campaign as a 14.5-point home favorite over Notre Dame, and is a 16-point home favorite in Week 4 against Wisconsin. The Buckeyes are also 11.5-point road favorites in Week 6 at Michigan State, 21-point home favorites against Iowa in Week 7 and 12-point road favorites in Week 8 against Penn State.

The aforementioned Big Ten Game of the Year, which likely will decide the East, arrives in the regular-season finale when Ohio State hosts Michigan on Nov. 26. Oddsmakers are not anticipating the game being close, posting the Buckeyes as 13.5-point home favorites to avenge last season’s 42-27 loss in Ann Arbor.

Michigan Wolverines (+800)

2022-23 NCAA championship odds: +3000 (Eighth)
Regular-season betting win total: 9.5

Head coach: Jim Harbaugh
Key players: QB Cade McNamara, RB Blake Corum, WR Ronnie Bell
2021 records: 12-2 SU / 11-3 ATS

Michigan’s defense led the way in 2021 to the program’s first Big Ten Title since 2004. Oddsmakers believe that despite losing its four leading tacklers from last season, Michigan’s recruiting department has reloaded just enough to contend again in 2022.

The defending Big Ten champions return the bulk of an explosive offensive attack that averaged 35.8 points per game last season.

Junior running back Blake Corum, who scored 12 touchdowns in his sophomore campaign, will take over lead duties after the departure of Hassan Haskins to the NFL. The wide receiver group will receive a major boost with the return of Ronnie Bell. The electric wideout tore his ACL in last season’s opener while returning a punt.

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The Wolverines open the season as 27.5-point home favorites over Colorado State. In their first October home game in Ann Arbor, Jim Harbaugh’s squad is installed as a seven-point favorite against Penn State in Week 7. The Wolverines are also 8.5-point home favorites over in-state rival Michigan State in Week 8 and 12-point home favorites over Nebraska just two weeks ahead of the showdown at the Horseshoe.

If Michigan, who is favored in every game outside of the Ohio State matchup, is undefeated heading into the final weekend of the regular season, will the Wolverines still be two-touchdown underdogs? Stay tuned.

LONG SHOTS: Penn State, Wisconsin Loom as Threats

Penn State Nittany Lions (+900)

2022-23 NCAA championship odds: +7500 (Tied-16th)
Regular-season betting win total: 8.5

Head coach: James Franklin
Key players: QB Sean Clifford, RB Nick Singleton, WR Parker Washington
2021 records: 7-6 SU / 7-6 ATS

Discovering that oddsmakers at SI Sportsbook have Penn State installed as the third betting choice is quite perplexing. Playing in the Big Ten East, it will not be easy for the Nittany Lions to overtake both Ohio State and Michigan for the division’s top spot.

James Franklin gets the luxury of Sean Clifford returning under center but it remains to be seen if the team has done enough to improve an offensive line that allowed the most sacks (44) of any Big Ten team. The lack of solid protection led to a disappointing ninth-place finish in conference scoring (24.8 points per game) among 14 teams. The poor play of the offensive line also led to the second-worst rushing attack that averaged a paltry 107.8 yards per game. To put that in perspective: Michigan doubled that production by averaging 214.4 rushing yards per game.

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Penn State opens as a three-point road favorite against Purdue but is a one-point road underdog two weeks later against Auburn in a non-conference tilt. Things will not get any easier in Week 6 when the Nittany Lions travel to Michigan as seven-point road underdogs, followed by a Week 8 tilt with Ohio State as 12-point home underdogs.

Wisconsin Badgers (+1400)

2022-23 NCAA championship odds: +4000 (Tied-10th)
Regular-season betting win total: 8.5

Head coach: Paul Chryst
Key players: QB Graham Mertz, RB Braelon Allen, WR Chimere Dike
2021 records: 9-4 SU / 6-7 ATS

The Badgers are a solid choice to win the Big Ten West and earn their first appearance in the conference title game since 2019.

Sophomore running back Braelon Allen finished third in the conference last season with 1,268 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns and is a sleeper to win the Heisman at +6000 odds. Quarterback Graham Mertz needs to take a major step forward after throwing more interceptions (11) than touchdowns (10) in his second full season as the starter.

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Wisconsin is a massive favorite to get off to a hot start thanks to scheduling Illinois State, Washington State and New Mexico State all at home prior to a road showdown with Ohio State. Paul Chryst’s club is a 16-point road underdog versus the Buckeyes, followed by a being two-point road underdog against Michigan State in Week 7. 

Wisconsin benefits from playing three of its last five games at Camp Randall Stadium.

MOONSHOTS: Star Running Back Can Propel Minnesota

Nebraska Cornhuskers (+1400)

2022-23 NCAA championship odds: +15000
Regular-season betting win total: 7.5

Head coach: Scott Frost
Key players: QB Casey Thompson, RB Rahmir Johnson, WR Trey Palmer
2021 records: 3-9 SU / 7-5 ATS

The Cornhuskers are 12-point favorites in their season opener at home against Northwestern, but things will not be easy three weeks later when they are five-point home underdogs against Oklahoma.

A daunting task of playing two of the last three three games on the road is highlighted by a showdown with Michigan on Nov. 12 as two-touchdown underdogs.

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Minnesota Gophers (+1600)

2022-23 NCAA championship odds: +15000
Regular-season betting win total: 7.5

Head coach: P.J. Fleck
Key players: QB Tanner Morgan, RB Mohamed Ibrahim, WR Dylan Wright
2021 records: 9-4 SU / 8-4-1 ATS

The Gophers averaged the third-most rushing yards per game (198.1) in the Big Ten and will receive a massive lift with the return of running back Mohamed Ibrahiml. Coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon, the hard-running senior will lead a solid one-two combo with Trey Potts, who posted 552 yards and six touchdowns in 2021. 

Minnesota opens the season as a 38-point home favorites over New Mexico State. Road trips to Michigan State in Week 4 and Penn State in 7 will likely decide their ability to contend for the West title.

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Iowa Hawkeyes (+1600)

2022-23 NCAA championship odds: +7500 (Tied-16th)
Regular-season betting win total: 7.5

Head coach: Kirk Ferentz
Key players: QB Spencer Petras, RB Gavin Williams, WR Keagan Johnson
2021 records: 10-4 SU / 7-6-1 ATS

Last year’s Big Ten West champions have a tremendous hole in the middle of an average offensive line after center Tyler Linderbaum heard his name called in the first round of the NFL draft. In their two biggest games, Iowa is a 3.5-pt home underdog against Michigan in Week 5 and a 21-point road underdog at Ohio State in Week 7.

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REST OF THE FIELD:  Michigan State Set to Regress

Michigan State Spartans (+2500)

2022-23 NCAA championship odds: +7500 (Tied-16th)
Regular-season betting win total: 7.5

Head coach: Mel Tucker
Key players: QB Payton Thorne, RB Jalen Berger, WR Jayden Reed
2021 records: 11-2 SU / 9-3-1 ATS

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Purdue Boilermakers (+2500)

2022-23 NCAAF championship odds: +20000
Regular-season betting win total: 7.5

Head coach: Jeff Brohm
Key players: QB Aidan O’Connell, RB King Doerue, WR Tyrone Tracy
2021 records: 9-4 SU / 8-5 ATS

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Indiana Hoosiers (+3300)

2022-23 NCAAF championship odds: +25000
Regular-season betting win total: 4

Head coach: Tom Allen
Key players: QB Connor Bazelak, RB Shaun Shivers, WR Emery Simmons
2021 records: 2-10 SU / 2-10 ATS

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Maryland Terrapins (+10000)

2022-23 NCAAF championship odds: +30000
Betting season win total: 6

Head coach: Mike Locksley
Key players: QB Taulia Tagovailoa, RB Challen Faamatau, WR Rakim Jarrett
2021 records: 7-6 SU / 5-8 ATS

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Northwestern Wildcats (+10000)

2022-23 NCAAF championship odds: +30000
Regular-season betting win total: 4

Head Coach: Pat Fitzgerald
Key Players: QB Ryan Hilinski, RB Cam Porter, WR Malik Washington
2021 Records: 3-9 SU / 3-9 ATS

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Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+10000)

2022-23 NCAAF championship odds: +75000
Regular-season betting win total: 4.5

Head coach: Greg Schiano
Key players: QB Noah Vedral, RB Kyle Monangai, WR Taj Harris
2021 records: 5-8 SU / 6-7 ATS

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Illinois Fighting Illini (+15000)

2022-23 NCAAF championship odds: +50000
Regular-season betting win total: 4.5

Head coach: Bret Bielema
Key players: QB Tommy DeVito, RB undefined, WR Isaiah Williams
2021 records: 5-7 SU / 7-4-1 ATS

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Frankie Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program ever offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Frankie is SI Betting's Senior Analyst and provides his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene. You can follow Frankie on Twitter @Frankie_Fantasy for his latest betting and fantasy insights from Las Vegas.

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