Bettors looking to cash in on The Ohio State Buckeyes have a third of the season to review in determining futures odds for the perennial football powerhouse. Multiple sportsbooks are offering fantastic odds this late into the season, giving bettors a chance to earn a significant payoff.
What are the No. 3 ranked Ohio State’s futures odds for earning a Big Ten title, a chance to play in the NCAA Championship game, and CJ Stroud’s Heisman Trophy chances? We’ll review those and offer betting advice on the Buckeyes for the remainder of the 2022 season.
Season Win Total: 10.5 – 11.5
Most sportsbooks started the season with Ohio State at 10.5 O/U win total for 2022. After going 4-0 to start the year, oddsmakers have moved the Buckeyes’ win totals to 11-11.5 for the regular season. Despite the increased expectations, oddsmakers have not significantly increased their payouts due to this change.
DraftKings and PointsBet are currently offering the best values for wagering on Ohio State’s win totals. Both sportsbooks are offering 10.5 O/U win totals, but DraftKings is paying the under at +215 odds (bet $100 to win $315). FanDuel Sportsbook is offering the O/U at 11.5, paying out the over for an undefeated season at +140 odds.
Best Bet: Over 11.5, FanDuel
The Buckeyes will be favored in every game remaining on their schedule. An undefeated season for Ohio State is likely with only two remaining games (at Penn State on Oct. 29 and Michigan at home on Nov. 26) left for the Buckeyes to face teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25.
While both will be tough contests, Ohio State is primed to run the table this season. The addition of Jim Knowles as defensive coordinator has helped the Buckeyes turn their talented athletes on defense into a capable unit, evidenced by shutting down both Notre Dame and Wisconsin.
Big Ten Title Chances
Whether Ohio State finishes the season undefeated or not, expect the Buckeyes to claim the Big Ten East’s spot in the championship game. While Michigan certainly could play the spoiler role again this season, Ohio State will look to exact revenge against the Wolverines after losing to them in Ann Arbor in 2021.
Best Bet: -190, BetMGM
Outside of the Minnesota Gophers, the Big Ten West division is loaded with teams that aren’t capable of competing with or knocking off the Buckeyes for the conference crown. Although Minnesota would give the Buckeyes a good game as the Big Ten West Division champions, Ohio State will handily defeat the Gophers inside Lucas Oil Fieldhouse en route to the college football playoffs.
CJ Stroud Heisman Chances
Ohio State QB CJ Stroud has posted statistics that would make most video gamers jealous. The junior signal caller from Inland Empire, California, has completed 79 of 112 passes for a 70.5% completion rate. Stroud has passed for 1,222 yards this season, ranking eighth-best among QBs at the FBS level.
Still more impressive is Stroud’s TD-to-INT ratio of 16-to-1. The 16 TDs are tied for first among NCAA leaders in 2022. Overall, Stroud has a 207.5 QB rating for the Buckeyes through their first four games, the second-best mark in the NCAA thus far.
BestBet: +350, FanDuel
While no player is rated as an odds-on favorite, the Ohio State QB is nearing that status. Stroud leads the third-ranked (and undefeated) Buckeyes in the sport’s highest-profile position. Since 2007, 12 of the 15 Heisman winners have been QBs for top-10 teams with double-digit wins on the season.
The competition for the award will be stiff. Reigning Heisman winner Bryce Young returned to Alabama in 2022 and has completed 68.5% of his passes for 1,029 yards and 13 TDs.
Other QBs to watch out for include surprises like Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Kansas’ Jaylon Daniels. Another name that could enter the mix as well is North Carolina’s Drake Maye, a QB whose stats for 2022 are almost identical to Stroud’s numbers through four games.
NCAA Championship Chances
ESPN ranks Ohio State as the second most-likely team to make the NCAA Playoffs this season, falling behind only Alabama for that distinction. The playoff prediction model shows if the Buckeyes suffered two losses in the regular season, Ohio State would still be in contention for a playoff spot depending on how the remainder of the conference races play out. That’s a feat only three other teams can claim.
Winning the Big Ten title game or finishing with one loss in a muddled field of top teams would give Ohio State a significant opportunity to make the college football playoffs this season. While nothing is guaranteed less than halfway into the year, Ohio State is as close to a safe wager as bettors will find.
Best Bet: +280 Caesars Sportsbook
Georgia and Alabama are both offering future bets of +200 or less, meaning Vegas views either SEC school as a better bet at winning the NCAA Championship. Ohio State is the third-best option among college football teams, offering a maximum future bet of +280 at Caesars Sportsbook.
After the Buckeyes, the minimum odds become much higher. Clemson, for example, clocks in at fourth-best among college football teams with a minimum line of +1200, or roughly five times as much as Ohio State.
And frankly, an Ohio State national championship run would not be a shock unlike in 2014 when the Buckeyes beat Alabama and Oregon to win the first CFP-era title. Bettors looking to take a chance on Ohio State winning the 2022 CFP should do so soon, however, as the potential payout has decreased multiple times since July.
