Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Ohio State Buckeyes Prediction, 9/16/2023 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Ohio State Buckeyes

Date: Saturday, September 16, 2023

Location: Ohio Stadium in Columbus, OH

TV: FOX

Odds/Point Spread: Buckeyes (-27)

Total/Over-Under: 63.5

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (2-0) are headed to Ohio Stadium on Saturday, September 16, 2023 where they will compete against the Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0). Western Kentucky opens this contest as 27-point underdogs. The over/under is 63.5.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers come into this game with a record of 2-0 this season. In their last contest, the Hilltoppers played the Houston Christian Huskies and took home the win by a score of 52-22. Austin Reed connected on 27/33 with 253 yds passing and 4 touchdowns. He had a quarterback rating of 186.2 and finished the contest with no interceptions. Markese Stepp led the offense in rushing for the Hilltoppers with 9 attempts for 48 yds (5.3 yds per attempt). Once the final whistle blew, they ran 63 plays which gave them a total of 433 yards. The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers ran the ball 25 different times and recorded 115 yds, earning them an average of 4.6 yards per attempt. When it came to stopping the run, the Hilltoppers gave up 155 yards on 35 attempts, which is 4.4 yds per rush allowed. Western Kentucky surrendered 18 completions on 28 attempts for 213 yds, and a completion rate of 64.3%.

When talking about scoring points, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers have an average of 46.5 points per game. As a team they hold an average of 122.0 yards on the ground which has them sitting 99th in D-1. The Hilltoppers have tallied 898 total yards for the year. With reference to notching touchdowns, Western Kentucky has amassed 7 passing touchdowns and 3 rushing touchdowns. Western Kentucky has accounted for 49 first downs as a unit, and they have been called for 13 infractions for 105 yards. They have turned the ball over 0 times.

The Hilltoppers sit in 70th in the nation regarding the opposition scoring, giving up 23.0 points per contest. They are giving up 5.5 yards per tote and 264.5 rushing yards per game on the season. In total, they have given up 529 yards via the ground game in 2 games. Concerning passing yards, the Hilltoppers have allowed 379 yards which puts them in 47th in Division 1. They are conceding 189.5 yards per outing via the pass in addition to giving up a completion percentage of 53.2%. Overall, they have surrendered 454.0 yards per outing which has them sitting 121st in the country. They have yielded 3 touchdowns through the air and 3 touchdowns via the ground game.

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The Buckeyes come into this matchup with a record of 2-0 this season. In their last game, the Buckeyes went home victorious with a score of 35-7 when they faced the Youngstown State Penguins. TreVeyon Henderson carried the ball 5 times for 56 yards, ending the contest with 11.2 yards per carry for Ohio State. Kyle McCord (3 touchdowns) ended the game with 258 yards on 14/20 passing while his QB rating was 227.9. He didn't throw any interceptions and his Y/A was 12.9. Ohio State gave up 33 rush attempts for 99 yards (3.0 yards per carry). The Buckeyes pass defense gave up a completion percentage of 65.4%, surrendering 135 yards on 17 out of 26 through the air. The Buckeyes ended up finishing with 482 yds and they ran 60 plays (8.0 yds per play). Ohio State rushed for 4.6 yds per attempt, totaling 123 yards on 27 attempts.

Regarding how much they score, the Buckeyes currently sit 74th in Division 1 with 29.0 points per game. The Ohio State Buckeyes maintain an average of 431.0 yards/contest, ranking them 52nd in the country. The Ohio State offense has accrued 106 yards of penalties on 11 infractions, which ranks them 77th in the nation in terms of making mistakes. They have tossed 1 pick while losing 0 fumbles and they have tallied 45 1st downs. During the season so far, the Buckeyes have thrown for 596 yards via the pass in addition to an average of 298.0 throwing yards per contest, which has them ranked 30th in the country. They hold an average of 133.0 yards per game on the ground and have toted the ball for 266 yards overall.

The Buckeyes are giving up 5.0 points per contest, which has them sitting 5th in D-1. Ohio State has allowed a total of 170 rushing yards (85.0 yards per outing) in addition to 1 touchdown by way of the ground game this season. Overall, they have given up 10 pts. They have surrendered 0 TDs through the air in addition to 108.5 yards per contest, which puts them in 6th in the country. The Buckeyes defense has taken the field for 113 plays, ranking them 16th in Division 1. Their defense has earned 0 fumbles and 1 interception for the season.

Who will win tonight's Hilltoppers/Buckeyes college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Buckeyes -27

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