Big Ten 2016 Betting Preview: Ohio State, Michigan Co-Favorites on Title Odds

In the second year under head coach Jim Harbaugh, it’s no surprise that oddsmakers expect the Michigan Wolverines to take the next step and compete for the Big Ten championship as the +175 co-favorites (bet $100 to win $175) at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Last year, Michigan finished third in the Big Ten East at 6-2, one game behind Ohio State and the eventual conference champion Michigan State Spartans.

The Wolverines went 10-3 overall in 2015, and their two Big Ten losses came against the Buckeyes and Spartans. Ohio State’s lone loss in the conference was against Michigan State in a game that decided the division title. The Buckeyes bounced back from that 17-14 home loss to the Spartans last November by trouncing Michigan 42-13 the next week in their annual rivalry game.

Ohio State went on to crush the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 44-28 in the Fiesta Bowl before losing many key players to the NFL.

The Wolverines figure to take advantage of those losses, which include Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott, who was selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft. Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer is known to reload rather than rebuild, though, so the Buckeyes should be primed for another great year.

Michigan State also saw some significant departures, and that is one of the main reasons why Mark Dantonio’s team is +700 on the odds to win the Big Ten title.

Among the Spartans not returning is quarterback Connor Cook, who was picked by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. Cook helped the school win the Big Ten championship in 2013 and 2015 as a two-time MVP.

Another school worth mentioning is the Iowa Hawkeyes, who were the most surprising team in the conference a year ago with an 8-0 mark in Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes won the Big Ten West title and then lost 16-13 to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game with a berth in the College Football Playoff on the line.

Iowa is listed at +900 to win the Big Ten championship this season on the college football betting lines.