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Many of the Big Ten’s biggest football rivalry games were cancelled during the 2020 season. But now that the full slate of games is back and on schedule, it’s time to start placing some bets on the rivalry games.
According to South Point via Saturday Tradition’s Dustin Schutte, the lines are out for Big Ten Rivalry Week this year. Iowa-Nebraska, Indiana-Purdue, Wisconsin-Minnesota and The Game between Ohio State and Michigan all got odds.
The closest of the four games is Wisconsin-Minnesota, with Wisconsin favored by just two points. Iowa is favored by five over Nebraska, while Indiana is favored by six over Purdue.
But The Game is not expected to be an especially close one. Ohio State are favored by 13 points over their arch-rivals from Ann Arbor. Given that the Buckeyes have won the last three meetings by double-digits, it’s not a huge surprise.
Interestingly enough, the road team is the favorite in all four matchups.
The 2020 season was one of the strangest in Big Ten history – and not just because of how many games were axed due to the pandemic. Powerhouses like Michigan, Penn State and Wisconsin struggled mightily while teams like Indiana, Northwestern and even Rutgers far exceeded expectations.
But one thing remained the same and that was Ohio State’s status as the one true powerhouse. They went 5-0 in the conference en route to beating Northwestern for the Big Ten title and Clemson in the College Football Playoff before losing to Alabama in the national title game.
Maybe things will change now that we’re on the verge of a more proper college football season.
Which Big Ten rivalry game or games are you looking forward to most?