If the Big Ten football season plays out as planned, one of the 14 teams will win a conference championship. Legal sportsbooks in states surrounding Ohio seem to all agree that Ohio State is the favorite to come out on top.
Those odds may move in the near future, however, as there is a month until the season begins. Although, it’s hard to tell which way those odds will move.
The latest Ohio State Big Ten odds for fall football
Some sportsbooks in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia are all-in on Ohio State winning the Big Ten championship game if it happens.
While BetRivers, DraftKings, and PointsBet don’t have Big Ten conference futures up yet, other books do.
BetMGM, FanDuel, and William Hill all have the Buckeyes as their favorites. The odds currently sit at -250, -300, and -275 respectively.
BetMGM currently takes that a step further, with a market on which team will win the Big Ten’s East Division. It has Ohio State as the favorite in that market as well, at -304.
That same book has the Buckeyes with the second-shortest odds of winning the College Football Playoff at +260.
Only Clemson has shorter odds at +200.
At FanDuel, on the other hand, the Buckeyes and the Tigers are currently co-favorites at +250 for the next national championship.
William Hill has Ohio State at +280 and Clemson +240 in a market for the same thing.
These books set these lines after the Big Ten released its latest schedule iteration. For the Buckeyes, that schedule currently goes as follows:
- Oct. 24: vs. Nebraska
- Oct. 31: at Penn State
- Nov. 7: vs. Rutgers
- Nov. 14: at Maryland
- Nov. 21: vs. Indiana
- Nov. 28: at Illinois
- Dec. 5: at Michigan State
- Dec. 12: vs. Michigan
- Dec. 19: Big Ten title game
Many things could move these odds between now and Oct. 24. Among them are how many bettors think this is the best price they will get on Ohio State.
Sizing up the market for Buckeyes football futures
One of the primary factors that could cause movement on Ohio St. football odds is how bettors stake the market. If a large swath of the money backs the Buckeyes, books like this will likely lengthen the odds to limit their liability.
There are also factors currently beyond sportsbooks’ control. That includes how Ohio State will respond to playing in an empty or limited amount of spectators at Ohio Stadium. The latest update excludes all spectators.
On top of that, weekly COVID-19 testing could dramatically impact the season. Teams in other conferences have already had to either cancel or postpone games due to this factor.
Even if games do take place on schedule, it’s possible that a few key players missing games would alter odds as well.
Justin Fields Heisman odds at legal sportsbooks
With Fields back in the mix, Heisman futures have shifted a lot. Fields is now the +500 favorite at FanDuel to win the trophy, for instance. Those odds could possibly move on a week-by-week basis, based on how players perform.
If Fields has to miss a game or two because either he individually or enough of his teammates test positive, based on the latest conference rules, that will likely lengthen his odds.
The perception of the competition he faces in this new Big Ten-only schedule will also make a difference in his fate.
Other players may already have a leg up on him in this race. Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence completed 21 of 28 passes, threw for 351 yards and one touchdown, and had two rushing touchdowns and no interceptions in just over a half of the Tigers’ season opener against Wake Forest, for example.
How the next few weeks affect Ohio State Big Ten odds is anyone’s guess right now. For the time being, the Buckeyes are the odds-on favorite to win another conference title.
