It’s like the last few minutes of a tailgate.
The action ramps up rather quickly. Down the beverage. Put the food away. And hurry.
The kickoff is coming.
That’s where the Big Ten is right now. After initially postponing its football season, the conference reversed course and will now restart in just one short week.
Illinois and Wisconsin start everything off next Friday. Penn State plays in Indiana on Saturday. Ohio State hosts Nebraska. And for the next several weeks, your beloved Big Ten teams will be on the field, playing the games that seemed unlikely just a few months ago.
So the time is now for all your Big Ten futures bets, with college football game lines beckoning beyond that. Let’s take a look at some of the available wagers at PA sports betting apps before the action begins next week.
Fox Bet has Penn State third among Big Ten favorites
It’s perhaps no surprise that Ohio State is the oddsmakers’ favorite to win the Big Ten. The Buckeyes have a Heisman contender at quarterback (Justin Fields, +550) and won the conference last year while qualifying for the college football playoff. Ohio State is a heavy favorite to repeat this year with odds of -250 at FOX Bet.
Wisconsin is next at +500, and Penn State would provide an even bigger return at +650. The rest of the conference is as follows:
- Michigan: +1800
- Minnesota: +2000
- Iowa: +3000
- Nebraska: +5000
- Indiana: +12500
- Michigan State: +15000
- Purdue: +20000
- Northwestern: +30000
- Illinois: +30000
- Maryland: +30000
So could Penn State do it? Could the Nittany Lions somehow climb over their Big Ten brethren and grab the title while returning some nice odds for all their fans?
The biggest obstacle in their path certainly seems to be the Buckeyes, who travel to State College for a game on Halloween (Oct. 31). Ohio State is likely to be favored in that contest, but beyond that, Penn State might be expected to win the rest of its games (although a road game in Michigan on Thanksgiving weekend — Nov. 26 — could be a toss-up as well).
In this topsy-turvy season in which some heavyweights have already fallen hard (Texas, Oklahoma and LSU, among others), it seems anything might be possible. So some futures bets are definitely worth a look.
Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford is 80-1 for the Heisman
If you’re interested in some long odds on college football’s most prestigious award, Penn State has a few options there as well. Fox Bet has Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford at +8000 for the Heisman Trophy. Running back Journey Brown is +10000.
Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence is the Heisman favorite at +105, followed by Fields (+550), and Alabama quarterback Mac Jones (+650).
This week, No. 2 Alabama will play No. 3 Georgia without Nick Saban
College football fans need not wait for the Big Ten for some betting action. On Saturday, Georgia and Alabama will meet at 8 p.m. in a huge SEC game. And the contest received a seismic shakeup yesterday with the news that legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Crimson Tide are a four-point favorite in the home contest, and it does not appear that Saban’s absence will alter the spread much. The game’s total is set at 56.5 points. The winner of that game should get an immediate boost in college football’s National Championship race.
And on a regional note, the Pitt Panthers, who have stumbled to two straight losses, are 13.5-point underdogs in a road game at No. 13 Miami. The over/under for that game is 47.5 points.
Other ranked teams will also take the field Saturday. And the college football excitement will continue this week, with a massive SEC game stepping into the spotlight.
But next week, it’s the Big Ten’s turn.
And the action will ramp up rather quickly.
Kickoff is coming.
Upcoming college football odds at PA sportsbooks
Lead image credit: AP Photo/Barry Reeger
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