Ohio State 27.5 Point Favorite vs Michigan in Week 15 Opening Odds

• The Michigan Wolverines travel to Columbus, Ohio to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, December 12, 2020
• The Buckeyes opened as 27.5 point favorites on Friday
• See the odds, spread, and analysis below

Ohio State destroyed Michigan State 52-12 in East Lansing on Saturday.

Michigan has not played since hosting Penn State on November 28th. Their game with Maryland on December 5th was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.

Michigan leads the all-time series 58-51-6, but Ohio State is favored by 27.5 points in this matchup.

Michigan Wolverines vs Ohio State Buckeyes Opening Odds

Odds as of December 5th at Fanduel

Ohio State has Playoff Hopes

Ohio State returned to action Saturday after their second canceled game in three weeks. They were without head coach Ryan Day who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week but it didn’t matter. The Buckeyes put up their highest point total of the season in a beating that started with their first drive.

Ohio State ran for a season high 322 yards on a helpless Michigan State defense in the route. Two ball carriers, Justin Fields and Trey Sermon, surpassed 100 yards in the game scoring three touchdowns between them. If there were any concerns as to how Fields would bounce back after a down game by his standards against Indiana two weeks ago, he put them to bed.

JUSTIN FIELDS PLAYS THROUGH THE WHISTLE 😤 pic.twitter.com/Hla0wpVCfZ

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 5, 2020

On top of running for 104 yards, Fields threw for another 199 and two touchdowns. His favorite target on the day was Chris Olave who pulled in 10 receptions for 139 yards and a score on 12 targets. Garrett Wilson also chipped in three receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown in the slaughter.

Can Michigan Even Play?

At least a dozen members of the football program tested positive for COVID-19 early last week which caused a shutdown of the program. The Wolverines’ December 5th game against Maryland was subsequently cancelled. The first date there can be any in-person football activities will be Monday the 7th.

If Michigan’s football program resumes operations on Monday, that would give them a semi-normal practice week. Ohio State had the same issues which forced them to cancel their November 28th game with Illinois. They were able to return a week later albeit without their head coach.

Michigan football remains virtual amid COVID-19 concerns.https://t.co/y2DhTyPKNx pic.twitter.com/5QozDFLknF

— 247Sports (@247Sports) December 1, 2020

There has been speculation that the Wolverines would try to duck Ohio State to avoid another embarrassing loss. Ohio State needs this game to have enough to qualify for the Big Ten Championship. Those rumors were disputed by coach Jim Harbaugh despite his 0-5 record against the Buckeyes.

Where Will the Line End?

Assuming Michigan actually travels to Columbus to play this game, it’s hard to imagine bettors will line up to support them. The line opened at Ohio State -27.5 on Friday and was quickly met with Michigan bettors pushing it down to 21.5 at one point. The number was taken off the board when the Ohio State and Michigan State kicked off only to open up again at 27.5.

Though it’s a large number, I would expect the number to rise throughout the week based on Michigan’s COVID-19 situation. Ohio State seems to be largely out of their issues with the virus while Michigan is still a sea of uncertainty. Not to mention Michigan has been a train wreck on the field this season. After what the Buckeyes were able to do to Michigan State on Saturday, they should be back in the good graces of the betting community. This number could get all the way over 30 by kickoff.