This past weekend, Wisconsin saw their undefeated aspirations go down in flames after their loss to Washington State. That’s perfectly fine by me, and the betting. We have added them to our Big Ten Betting Power Rankings as a team that is in a prime position to bounce back in a big way.
Here are the Big Ten Betting Power Rankings for Week 3. Remember, these are not your traditional power rankings—these rank which teams have the most value in betting on or fading.
Lines available on BetMGM Sportsbook
1) Washington at Michigan State - Huskies’ Team Total OVER 37.5 (-110) – Michael Penix Jr. has started the season on fire. Scoring over 40 points in back-to-back games, they should have no problems putting up points against a lackluster Michigan State team.
2) Georgia Southern at Wisconsin -Wisconsin -10.5 1st Half (-110) – Wisconsin is in a great bounce-back spot after losing outright last week to Washington St. Despite being 2-0, Georgia Southern is 92nd in net points/drive. Look for Luke Fickell to flex his muscles early in this one.
3) Syracuse at Purdue- Syracuse ML (-140) – Fading Purdue did not work last week, but we are back to fading them again against Syracuse. Better on both sides of the ball, Cuse’ should win this one comfortably.
4) Bowling Green at Michigan - Bowling Green Team Total UNDER 3.5 (-120) – UNLV was lucky to find the endzone. Michigan’s defense is stout, and they have a solid chance to shut Bowling Green out this week.
BLACKSBURG, VA - SEPTEMBER 09: Purdue Boilermakers running back Devin Mockobee (45) runs the ball during a college football game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Virginia Tech Hokies on September 9, 2023, at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, VA. (Photo by Brian Bishop/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Moving on Up’ – Purdue
We are back again after cashing big on the fade of Wisconsin last week. Not only did we cash Wisconsin’s team total under, but we also cashed Washington St +6.5 and Washington St money line. This week, I’m fading Purdue and taking Syracuse Moneyline (-140).
The line opened as a pick ‘em, and I was late to the window on the original moneyline price, but I don’t mind laying the juice with Syracuse this week. For me, it’s a different of two totally different teams. One who won’t have problems moving the ball and another who will have to use defense and strong homefield advantage to have a chance to win this game.
Syracuse is led by QB Garrett Shrader, who has started the season scorching hot. He’s led them to a 65-0 win over Colgate and a 48-7 win over Western Michigan.
The level of competition is not as high as Purdue, but once Jeff Brohm left Purdue, I was ready to actively fade Purdue. Through two games, they are 99th in offensive success rate and 88th in defensive success rate. Where it really gets alarming is on the defensive side of the ball. They have struggled on defense on early downs, and that was shown when they lost against Fresno State at home.
This could be a nail-biter, but I’m backing Syracuse ML (-140).
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5) Western Michigan at Iowa - Western Michigan Team Total Under - No brainer here: Iowa’s defense has not taken a step back. Look for another dominant performance.
6) Northern Illinois at Nebraska - Northern Illinois +10.5 (-110) – After Jeff Sims got hurt and Nebraska was embarrassed, it’s hard to trust Nebraska as double-digit favorites. Bounce back? Nah, it’s more “upset alert” for Nebraska.
7) Western Kentucky at Ohio State – Take Western Kentucky’s team total under once this becomes available. Ohio State’s defense should give them all they can handle.
8) Northwestern at Duke – Under 46 Points (-110) – In the wise words of Vaughn Dalzell, “Northwestern ain’t scoring.”
9) North Carolina at Minnesota – Under 50 Points (-110) – We deserved to cash the under in the App State at North Carolina game last week. No way Minnesota put up 34 points on UNC. Easy under in this one.
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10) Penn State at Illinois – Penn State -14.5 (-110) – Penn State is a legitimate championship contender against Illinois but has struggled. Illinois has given up massive yards on the ground; I expect Penn State to pound the Fighting Illini.
11) Virginia at Maryland – Over 49.5 Points (-110) – Maryland has started the season hot on offense but still has some issues to fix defensively. Cash-out if Tony Musket is playing, though.
12) Louisville vs. Indiana – Louisville -10 – This is probably a pass at this number. Indiana’s offense is awful, but it’s hard to trust laying 10 points with Louisville.
13) Virginia Tech at Rutgers – Rutgers -6.5 – I loved the opening line at -3, but it’s hard to go back to Rutgers as a dog this big for three straight covers.
