After a thrilling college football season, The Game has arrived. Ohio State and Michigan, both undefeated, will settle things in Columbus. The Buckeyes had their nine-game winning streak snapped last year in Ann Arbor, but head coach Ryan Day made the necessary offseason adjustments to get the best of the Michigan Wolverines. Bettors looking for a positive return on Saturday’s Michigan-Ohio State props action should target these plays over at PrizePicks.
Best PrizePick Props – Best Ohio State-Michigan Props
J.J. McCarthy Prop: OVER 17.5 Pass Completions
The Michigan Wolverines could be without the services of star running back Blake Corum this week. Even if Corum does play, bettors should expect him to be operating at less than 100%. That means the Wolverines may need to lean on their quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, to keep up with the Buckeyes.
The Buckeyes may have improved their defense during the offseason, but they have gotten much better against the run than against the pass. They rank fifth in yards allowed per rush attempt this year (3.1) after ranking 27th (3.7) last year. In contrast, they rank 23rd in yards allowed per pass attempt this year (6.4) after ranking 34th (6.9).
McCarthy has averaged only 15 completions per game this season, but that number jumps to 16.9 when non-conference games are excluded. Further, the Wolverines have yet to play an opponent with an offense as good as Ohio State’s. They’ll need to keep the ball in the air to prevent the Buckeyes from running away with this one.
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C.J. Stroud Prop OVER 280.5 Passing Yards
Bettors should pair their bet on McCarthy with another one on Ohio State’s quarterback, C.J. Stroud. Although the Michigan Wolverines lead the FBS in yards allowed per pass attempt (5.3) and rank third in passing yards allowed per game (161.7), they haven’t faced a quarterback of Stroud’s caliber.
Stroud leads the FBS in passing efficiency and is on pace to record the 19th-best season in the metric of all time. His 2021 campaign still ranks 14th. Stroud has gone for 281 passing yards or more in seven of his eleven appearances this year, and he stayed under only when the Buckeyes could lean on their rushing attack. With the Wolverines’ defensive front ranked 19th in average line yards and eighth in yards per rush attempt (5.5), the Buckeyes won’t be able to lean on their backfield to win.
Stroud threw for 394 yards against Michigan last season. He overcame a hostile crowd to do so in the Big House. Bettors should back Stroud to have another impressive performance through the air — especially since he’ll get the benefit of a friendly crowd on Saturday.
