Big Ten Predictions: Picks against the spread for Week 7

Oct 10, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Braxton Miller (1) and quarterback J.T. Barrett (16) celebrate after Barrett’s touchdown run against the Maryland Terrapins at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game 49-28. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

The Big Ten season is now in full swing and a few teams have begun to separate themselves from the pack. Week 7 brings several interesting matchups with six total games. Check out this week’s Big Ten picks adjacent the spread. 

Anything can happen once the Big Ten season kicks off. Upsets are always just around the corner, as are surprising performances, both good and bad. We had a mix of both in the Big Ten last week.

Ohio State, still ranked No.1, was expected to roll over a struggling Maryland squad. Things were close for a while, but the Buckeyes finally seemed to put it all together, even if it was only just for one half. In the end, Ohio State buried the Terrapins and ended the Randy Edsall era.

Michigan State was also expected to have no trouble in its game against lowly Rutgers. However, the return of wide receiver Leonte Carroo sparked the Knights, who took the Spartans down to the end.

The game of the week heading into last week was Michigan against an undefeated Northwestern team that had been the surprise of the conference early on. The Wolverines gained a lot of attention last week with a convincing 38-0 trouncing of the Wildcats.

Iowa, perhaps the most consistent team in the conference thus far, avoided an upset against Illinois and is now inside of the top-20. As for this week, all five of the ranked teams are in action, some with tougher tests than others. Iowa travels to take on an embarrassed Northwestern squad and Ohio State draws a tough home test with upset-minded Penn State.

Of course, the game of the week in the Big Ten, and the site of College GameDay, will take place in Ann Arbor, when Michigan takes on its second-most hated rival in Michigan State.

With some interesting lines unfolding for this week’s slate of games, it’s time to take a look at which teams will cover and who will leave betters shaking their heads.

Note: Lines used in the following slides come from Vegasinsider.com and current as of Thursday,  October 15, 2015. 

Next: Iowa at Northwestern