Jay LaPrete/Associated Press The Big Ten and Big 12 don't hook up all that often, but the Big Ten holds the edge recently, going 6-3 straight up and 5-3-1 against the spread versus the Big 12 over the last three seasons. In an interesting early-season inter-sectional battle, Ohio State takes on TCU on Saturday night on neutral turf at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. College football point spread: The Buckeyes opened as 12.5-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark (line updates and matchup report). College football betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 42.2-26.6 Buckeyes (College football picks on every game). Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week’s top sports betting news. Why the Ohio State Buckeyes can cover the spread The Buckeyes are 2-0 both SU and ATS this season, covering two big spreads, after roughing up Rutgers on Saturday 52-3. Ohio State drove 67 yards to a touchdown on its first possession, led 14-0 after one quarter, 35-0 at the half and 42-0 before allowing the Scarlet Knights to hit the board with a field goal midway through the third quarter. The Buckeyes then tacked on the game's final 10 points to secure the cover as 35-point favorites. Video Play Button Videos you might like On the day, Ohio State out-gained Rutgers 579-134 and out-rushed the Knights 225-69. Sophomore quarterback Dwayne Haskins threw four touchdown passes without an interception and has now thrown nine touchdown passes through his first two games. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes defense held Rutgers to just 2.2 yards per play. Two weeks ago, Ohio State opened this season with a 77-31 rout of Oregon State, covering a 40-point spread. Why the TCU Horned Frogs can cover the spread The Frogs are also off to a 2-0 start, following their 42-12 victory over SMU on Friday night. TCU spotted the Mustangs the first nine points of the game and only led 14-12 at the half. But a fumble return for a touchdown early in the third quarter sparked a 28-0 run to end the game, and the Frogs covered as 23-point favorites. On the night TCU out-gained SMU 393-242, out-rushed the Mustangs 247-131 and won time of possession by a 34/26 split. Two weeks ago, the Frogs defeated FCS Southern University 55-7, just missing the cover as 49-point favorites. Smart betting pick Ohio State, being Ohio State, is often overrated on the college football betting lines. And TCU, being TCU, is often underrated. In fact, the Frogs are 9-3 ATS their last 12 times out as underdogs. The Buckeyes may win this game outright, but the smart money takes TCU and the points. College football betting trends The total has gone under in three of Ohio State's last four games. The total has gone under in TCU's last four games against the Big 10. TCU is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games in September. All college football odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.<doc-sep>Ohio State kicked off their 2018 Big Ten season on Saturday with another convincing victory, taking down Rutgers by a score of 52-3. It was a rain-filled game, but the Bucks were able to overcome that challenge, and roll to the easy win, never slowing down after the opening whistle blew. In that game, the Buckeyes opened as 33-point favorites, with the line moving to 35 before game time. Ohio State covered that spread, beating the Scarlet Knights by a 49 point margin, which shows just how big of a talent differential there was between the two teams. The Bucks move to 2 and 0 on the season, and 1 and 0 in the Big Ten, while the Knights went to 1 and 1 on the campaign, and 0 and 1 in the conference. In week three, the Scarlet and Gray head to the Lone Star State for their first big challenge of the year, as they take on TCU in what is technically a neutral field contest at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Horned Frogs come into the contest at 2-0, after beating SMU 42-12, despite a slow start in a lightning delayed tilt on Friday night. Despite winning their first two games convincingly, No. 16 ranked TCU finds themselves as 12.5 point underdogs to the Buckeyes in this contest, which will be aired on ABC at 8 PM EST. Want daily inside scoop on the Buckeyes? Get VIP access with a 7-Day FREE Trial now! Ohio State and TCU have met six times in their histories, with the Bucks leading that series with four wins, having dropped one to the Horned Frogs, with the programs also tying in one contest. The two teams have not met since 1973, a match-up the Buckeyes won 37-3. The other games occurred in 1969 (62-0 Ohio State), 1966 (14-7 Ohio State), 1961 (7-7 tie), 1957 (18-14 TCU), and in 1937 (14-0 Ohio State). This year's game should be one of the competitive variety, especially as OSU is without head coach Urban Meyer, as he serves the final game of his three game suspension. Other notable games across the Big Ten and college football for week 2 include: -Penn State Nittany Lions against the Kent State Golden Flashes -Rutgers Scarlet Knights against the Kansas Jayhawks -Indiana Hoosiers against the Ball State Cardinals -Maryland Terrapins against the Temple Owls -Nebraska Cornhuskers against the Troy Trojans -Wisconsin Badgers against the BYU Cougars -Michigan Wolverines against the SMU Mustangs -Minnesota Golden Gophers against the Miami (OH) Redhawks -South Florida Bulls against the Illinois Fighting Illini -Purdue Boilermakers against the Missouri Tigers -Northwestern Wildcats against the Akron Zips -Oklahoma Sooners against the Iowa State Cyclones -Notre Dame Fighting Irish against the Vanderbilt Commodores -Auburn Tigers against the LSU Tigers -West Virginia Mountaineers against the N.C. State Wolfpack -Alabama Crimson Tide against the Ole Miss Rebels -USC Trojans against the Texas Longhorns -Washington Huskies against the Utah Utes<doc-sep>COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 08: J.K. Dobbins #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes run the ball down the sideline in the second quarter of the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Ohio Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) Both the Ohio State Buckeyes and TCU Horned Frogs will have the chance to prove they’re legit on Saturday as they face off in AT&T Stadium. There’s no questioning the fact that the Ohio State Buckeyes have one of the most talented teams in the country. Despite big losses from last year’s team, they’re still coming and seem 100 percent legitimate. Seem, however, is the operative word. On Saturday night, we’ll find out just how legitimate they are as they travel to AT&T Stadium to take on the TCU Horned Frogs. Saturday will be the final game that Ohio State will play without head coach Urban Meyer on the sidelines due to his suspension. However, this might be the game where they will feel the head man’s absence the most. This TCU team may not have a ton of buzz, but they have the talent and coaching under Gary Patterson to beat anyone in the country. For the Horned Frogs to win, however, they’ll need two things to happen. First, dual-threat quarterback Shawn Robinson must rise to the occasion. He has shown in this young season that he’s an electric talent, but he’s not been tested like this yet and must survive. On defense, the Frogs truly need to find some magic from Patterson. The head coach has shown he can scheme with the best and, without Meyer to combat him, perhaps he can cook up how to stop Dwayne Haskins. Stopping Haskins is the biggest part of the battle of stopping the Buckeyes. Yes, there is still J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber to contend with, but the redshirt sophomore quarterback is a playmaker in the highest regard. Thus, keeping him from making those plays too often will be critical to the success of TCU in this one. Details for Saturday’s Game Date: Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018 Start Time: 8:00 p.m. ET Location: Arlington, TX Stadium: AT&T Stadium TV Info: ABC Live Stream: FuboTV, WatchESPN Considering that they’re ranked higher, it’s not a shock to see Ohio State favored in this game. What is surprising is to see how much they’re favored by over a TCU team that could very well win on Saturday night. Betting Odds (Courtesy of Odds Shark) Point Spread: Ohio State -13 Moneyline: Ohio State -500, TCU +350 Over/Under: 60 Prediction As much talent as the Buckeyes have, my gut just tells me this game is going to come down to Patterson on the Horned Frogs sidelines. He’s the real deal and has consistently had his teams ready for this exact type of game. Without Meyer opposite him for OSU, that makes me believe that TCU will protect Texas and get the upset victory. Final Score: Ohio State 24, TCU 30<doc-sep>COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State opened as a 12.5-point favorite for its Week 3 game vs. TCU on Saturday in Arlington, Texas, according to VegasInsider.com. But 15 minutes later, the line changed to 14. The Buckeyes are 2-0 against the spread this season, including covering against Rutgers in Week 2 with a 52-3 win. On the other side, the Horned Frogs are 1-1 in the spread after failing to cover a 49.5-point spread in a 55-7 win vs. Southern in Week 1. Kickoff from AT&T Stadium is set for 8 p.m., with ABC broadcasting the game.<doc-sep>
Saturday night just outside of Dallas will feature an epic college football showdown as two of the top programs in the nation, No. 4 Ohio State and No. 15 TCU, square off at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It's the first time these two teams have faced one another in a game since 1973, and that last meeting didn't go well for the Horned Frogs as Woody Hayes' Buckeyes won 37-3. Some believe the same may be in store for TCU on Saturday considering Ohio State enters the game as a two-touchdown favorite. What's more important for the present teams, however, is that this game presents an opportunity for both to add an impressive win to their 2018 resumes. The kind of win that could impress a certain committee. Ohio State will look to do so without Urban Meyer on the sideline as he will sit out the third and final game of his school-mandated suspension. Viewing information Date: Saturday, Sept. 15 | Time: 8 p.m. ET Location: AT&T Stadium -- Arlington, Texas TV: ESPN | Live stream: WatchESPN Storylines Ohio State: This game will serve as the final game of Meyer's suspension, and to this point, the absence of Meyer hasn't done anything to slow down the Buckeyes. Ohio State is 2-0 on the year and has outscored opponents 129-34 in the process. Dwayne Haskins has emerged as a star in the Ohio State offense, throwing for 546 yards and nine touchdowns in his two games. TCU: The Horned Frogs are coming off a 42-12 win over SMU in a rivalry game last week, and are 2-0 to start the season. This will be TCU's toughest test of the season to this point, and this Ohio State game also kicks off a rough stretch of the schedule. Shawn Robinson has done well at quarterback for the Horned Frogs, and he leads the team in rushing as well, but this Ohio State defense will provide a tough test for the young QB. Game prediction, picks Picking against a Gary Patterson team that's getting nearly two touchdowns and is basically the home team (AT&T Stadium is a 20-minute drive from TCU) is a strategy that often makes one look like a fool, but I just can't take the Horned Frogs in this matchup. Ohio State has looked like a team that could prove to be the best in the country so far, and it just might have a little too much talent for the Frogs. Pick: Ohio State -12.5 What college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 3? And what team delivers a massive upset? Visit SportsLine to see which teams are winning more than 50 percent of simulations, all from a proven computer model on an 11-2 run that has returned over $4,000 in profit over the past three seasons.