Every year (and every week of the season) we have a little friendly competition among our writers for world domination when it comes to picking the Big Ten football games and some of the bigger college football contests.
It’s a clean slate as we break the seal on the 2023 season, but it looks like Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State are the class of the league and the East division.
Buy Buckeyes TicketsSo, how will Week 1 play out in the Big Ten? Our writers take turns picking all the games in the Big Ten straight up and against the spread. As the season gets further along and we’re in the full swing of conference play, we’ll do the same drill on the top six contests in the nation outside of that (our “pick six”).
As a reminder, if there’s an asterisk next to the pick, that means the team will win, but not cover. If there is a tie, rather than have a cage match or old-fashioned duel, we’ll settle it with less violence and go with the tried, yet true, coin flip where George Washington has the say.
EXAMPLE:
– If you think Ohio State will win minus-3.5 over an opponent: OSU
– If you think Ohio State will win outright: OSU
– If you think Ohio State will win, but NOT cover: OSU*
Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.
Here are our expert picks for Week 1 as we kick the season off.
Nebraska at Minnesota
Thursday, Aug. 30
8 p.m. ET | Fox – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Minnesota -7
@PhilHarrisonBW: Minnesota
@MarkRussell1975: Minnesota
@JoshKeatley16: Minnesota
@MikeFChen: Minnesota*
@evanrbach: Minnesota
CONSENSUS PICK: Minnesota
Central Michigan at Michigan State
Friday, Sept. 1
7 p.m. ET | FS1 – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Michigan State -14.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Michigan State
@MarkRussell1975: Michigan State
@JoshKeatley16:Michigan State
@MikeFChen: Michigan State
@evanrbach: Michigan State*
CONSENSUS PICK: Michigan State
East Carolina at Michigan
Saturday, Sept. 2
Noon ET | Peacock
BetMGM Line: Michigan -36.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Michigan
@MarkRussell1975: Michigan*
@JoshKeatley16: Michigan
@MikeFChen: Michigan
@evanrbach: Michigan*
CONSENSUS PICK: Michigan
Utah State at Iowa
Saturday, Sept. 2
Noon ET | FS1 – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Iowa -25.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Iowa*
@MarkRussell1975: Iowa*
@JoshKeatley16: Iowa
@MikeFChen: Iowa*
@evanrbach: Iowa*
CONSENSUS PICK: Iowa*
Fresno State at Purdue
Saturday, Sept. 2
Noon ET | Big Ten Network – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Purdue -3.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Purdue
@MarkRussell1975: Purdue
@JoshKeatley16: Fresno State
@MikeFChen: Purdue
@evanrbach: Purdue
CONSENSUS PICK: Purdue
Ohio State at Indiana
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Saturday, Sept. 2
3:30 p.m. ET | CBS – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Ohio State -29.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Ohio State
@MarkRussell1975: Ohio State
@JoshKeatley16:Ohio State
@MikeFChen: Ohio State
@evanrbach: Ohio State
CONSENSUS PICK: Ohio State
Buffalo at Wisconsin
Saturday, Sept. 2
3:30 p.m. ET | FS1 – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Wisconsin -27.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Wisconsin
@MarkRussell1975: Wisconsin
@JoshKeatley16: Wisconsin
@MikeFChen: Wisconsin
@evanrbach: Wisconsin*
CONSENSUS PICK: Wisconsin
Towson at Maryland
Saturday, Sept. 2
3:30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Off (pick just straight up)
@PhilHarrisonBW: Maryland
@MarkRussell1975: Maryland
@JoshKeatley16: Maryland
@MikeFChen: Maryland
@evanrbach: Maryland
CONSENSUS PICK: Maryland
West Virginia at Penn State
Saturday, Sept. 2
7:30 p.m. ET | NBC – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Penn State -20.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Penn State*
@MarkRussell1975: Penn State
@JoshKeatley16: Penn State
@MikeFChen: Penn State*
@evanrbach: Penn State
CONSENSUS PICK: Penn State
Toledo at Illinois
Saturday, Sept. 2
7:30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Illinois -9.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Illinois
@MarkRussell1975: Illinois
@JoshKeatley16: Illinois
@MikeFChen: Illinois
@evanrbach: Illinois
CONSENSUS PICK: Illinois
Northwestern at Rutgers
Sunday, Sept. 3
Noon ET | CBS – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Rutgers -6.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Rutgers
@MarkRussell1975: Rutgers
@JoshKeatley16: Rutgers
@MikeFChen: Rutgers
@evanrbach: Rutgers
CONSENSUS PICK: Rutgers
