The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes battle the Western Michigan Broncos this week in a game that will feature the country’s fourth-leading receiver, Daniel Braverman (398 yards, 3 TDs). The Buckeyes have gone 3-0 thus far, while the Broncos are 1-2. The game kicks off Saturday, Sep 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be shown on ABC and the ESP2.
In last week’s matchup, Ohio State defeated Northern Illinois 20-13. Michael Thomas had a quality performance in the victory, pulling in three receptions for 60 yards and one TD. Western Michigan smashed Murray State 52-20 in its matchup. Daniel Braverman had a great game for the Broncos, grabbing 14 receptions for 167 yards and two TDs. Corey Davis had a great game as well, adding 139 yards and two TDs on six catches.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at 58 points and the Broncos are a huge 27-point underdog.
Sitting at 3-0 Straight Up (SU) and 1-2 Against The Spread (ATS), the Buckeyes will look to improve heading into Week 4. The Ohio State’s offense will face a weak Broncos run defense that ranks 109th in the country with 224 rushing yards allowed per game. Turning to the Buckeyes defense, there are several areas to keep an eye on. Ohio State’s front seven will be excited to play the Broncos and their struggling run game. Western Michigan averages 93.3 yards per game on the ground, ranking 123rd in the nation. The Broncos will need to stop Ohio State’s defense from getting to their quarterbacks in order to be successful in this game. The Buckeyes rank third in the nation in sacks with four per game. The Buckeyes are one of the best in the country at scoring in the fourth quarter, averaging 11.7 points.
As for their opponent, the Broncos head into Week 4 with records of 2-1 ATS and 1-2 SU. Passing the ball is important for the Broncos. They attempt 39.7 throwing plays per game. Shifting to the other side of the ball, it might be tough for the Buckeyes to keep up with Western Michigan’s defense in a few areas. Stopping the pass doesn’t have to be Western Michigan’s first priority since the Buckeyes aren’t putting up scary numbers through the air. Ohio State ranks 105th in the nation with a passing average of 176.3 yards per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ohio State, ATS Winner – Ohio State, O/U – Over
Notes
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Ohio State’s last 17 games.
Ohio State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home.
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Both teams are 1-0 SU when leading after two quarters this season.
The Ohio State offensive passing attack is ranked only 105th in the country, while the Western Michigan pass defense is ranked 47th. The Broncos passing game is ranked just 18th, compared to the fifth-ranked pass defense of the Buckeyes.
