The Ohio State Buckeyes ride a 13-game winning streak into this season, which includes a 9-4 run against the spread. The last game the Buckeyes lost came last September, at home against Virginia Tech. Ohio State opens this season with revenge on its mind, heading into a rematch with the Hokies in Blacksburg Monday night.
Point spread: Buckeyes opened as 14-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)
College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 60.6-34.7 Buckeyes
Why the Ohio State Buckeyes can cover the spread
Ohio State returns 14 starters from the team that went 14-1 and rolled to a national championship last season. Seven starters are back on offense, including quarterback J.T. Barrett, who accounted for 45 touchdowns last season, running back Ezekiel Elliott, who ran for 1,900 yards, and four along the offensive line.
Seven starters return on defense, including last year's top four tacklers. The Buckeyes begin this season as the top-ranked team in the land, and with good reason; talent abounds, along with experience, and they're led by one of the best head coaches in college football. And playing on the road means the spread is a little more amenable.
Why the Virginia Tech Hokies can cover the spread
Virginia Tech gets back 16 starters this year from a team that won three of its last four games last season, including a bowl upset over Cincinnati, to finish 7-6. Eight starters are back on offense, led by senior quarterback Michael Brewer and last year's top two rushers and top three receivers.
Eight starters return on defense, including three of last year's top four tacklers. Also, the Hokies are 4-2 ATS in their last six games as home underdogs. Finally, Virginia Tech upset Ohio State last year in Columbus, and while the Buckeyes are most certainly out for revenge, that can sometimes backfire.
Smart pick
The Hokies caught the Buckeyes in a bad spot last season, with a quarterback making his first collegiate start behind a young offensive line, but that's not the case this time around. Ohio State is the consensus best team in the country, favored by what looks to be a manageable spread. Blacksburg can be a tough place to play for a visiting team, but the Buckeyes aren't your average team; they're super-talented, deep and battle-tested. The smart money here resides with OSU, minus the points.
Betting trends
Ohio State is 13-0 SU and 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games.
The total has gone over in seven of Ohio State's last 10 games on the road.
Virginia Tech is 1-5 ATS in its last six games at home.
All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark; all quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.
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