No Surprise: Ohio State Getting Huge Money In The Big Ten

BetMGM Data

BetMGM has released its betting data for the upcoming college football season, showing where the money and tickets are going in each conference. Many bettors are going to want this information to find out the sharp plays, as well as to see where the biggest liability is for the sportsbook. That's why when we receive this data, it is important to share it with you so you have all of that info at your fingertips.

Taking a look at the data that we received in the Big Ten winner market, it was easy to see that one team stood out more than others. A MASSIVE amount of money is on the Ohio State Buckeyes to bring it home, with a huge 60.9% of the handle in the conference. This shouldn't really be a huge surprise for most of you, considering Ohio State is the favorite at +150 right now. The favorites usually take in a lot of money, but because they are favorites, that doesn't necessarily mean they are the biggest liability for the book.

In this case, the Buckeyes would be favorable here for BetMGM. The biggest liability for the book is Penn State, which is getting 31.1% of the tickets, more than any other team. They opened at 6/1 odds to win the Big-10, but have moved to 5/1 recently. Because they have such a plus-money price, despite getting less total money than Ohio State, they still would be the worst outcome for the books.

Buckeyes Reload

It is hard to make an argument against Ohio State. The defense has almost zero concerns. They are absolutely loaded on that side of the ball and will be one of the best units in college football once again, this time with even more depth than before. Offensively, QB Kyle McCord is gone, but Will Howard should be just as good at the helm of one of the most dynamic and talented offenses there is. The skill positions are set and loaded, the special teams are fantastic, and the defense is tops.

Where is the one place they struggle? Unfortunately, one of the most important positions in football. The offensive line had some serious issues last season, and we saw several times how they got exposed when they had to face a great defensive line. When the Buckeyes struggled last season, it was in games where they couldn't run the ball. If they are serious about winning a title, this line has to be better in 2024 at not just pass blocking, but opening up rushing lanes as well so TreVeyon Henderson and star transfer Quinshon Judkins can make things happen.

Futures Odds and Picks

Ohio State is the favorite, and they should be the favorite. If I was to bet on this market, they would be my pick, but their odds are so short that I probably won't be playing it. One thing that we did learn from this data is that you should stay away from the Nittany Lions, as it is extremely rare that the sportsbook has to pay out on their biggest liability.

Oregon (+210) would be more intriguing for me, and winning the conference in their first year in it would be pretty cool.