Big Ten football preview: Everything you need to know before betting Week 1

Big Ten football is back and will be in action throughout the opening weekend of the 2022-23 college football season.

Week 1 begins for the Big Ten with two games slated for tonight, including an early conference clash between Penn State and Purdue. After one more Big Ten game on Friday, the rest of the conference will play on Saturday, featuring a tantalizing top-five matchup between Ohio State and Notre Dame.

Bet on all of these games at Caesars Sportsbook, the official odds partner of Bet Chicago Sports. Here is what you need to know before betting on the Big Ten in Week 1:

Thursday, Sept. 1

Penn State (-3.5) at Purdue — Favored as the road team, Penn State brings back some key pieces from last year’s 7-6 squad. Sean Clifford returns as one of the more experienced quarterbacks in the country, and is PSU’s career leader with a 60.3 completion rate. The Nittany Lions lost Jahan Dotson, but the receiver room should still be strong with Parker Washington leading the way.

Purdue is coming off a 9-4 campaign, but lost receiver David Bell and defensive end George Karlaftis to the NFL. Like their opponent, the Boilermakers bring back their quarterback after Aidan O’Connell threw for 3,712 yards and 28 touchdowns a season ago. Purdue has not defeated Penn State since 2004, losing the past nine meetings in this head-to-head matchup.

New Mexico State at Minnesota (-36.5) — The Golden Gophers went 9-4 last year without much of a passing offense, as the team averaged 181.2 yards per game. Head coach PJ Fleck brought back offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, who previously held the same position from 2017-19. Quarterback Tanner Morgan enters his sixth season after throwing for 2,044 yards and 10 touchdowns last year.

Friday, Sept. 2

Western Michigan at Michigan State (-22) — Mel Tucker’s Spartans went 11-2 last year for their first double-digit win season since 2017. Michigan State will have to replace running back Kenneth Walker III, but figure to have solid options with Jarek Broussard and Jalen Berger transferring in. Quarterback Payton Thorne and 1,000-yard receiver Jayden Reed are both back to bring a nice balance to this offense.

It remains to be seen if the Spartans can solve their issues in the secondary after allowing 324.9 passing yards per game last season.

Illinois at Indiana (-1.5) — Illinois, which is a 1.5-point underdog, will have a short week after its 38-6 thumping of Wyoming in Week 0. That performance has caused the line to move significantly in Illinois’ favor since Saturday’s showing, though teams have not fared well when playing their second game against an opponent making their season debut.

This will be Indiana’s first game after going from ranked No. 17 in the preseason poll to finishing 2-10 last year. The Hoosiers have five new assistant coaches, including their coordinators on each side of the ball.

Saturday, Sept. 3

Notre Dame at Ohio State (-17) — The biggest game of opening weekend is this contest between two top-five teams. No. 2 Ohio State is favored by over two touchdowns against No. 5 Notre Dame, and that still might not be enough. The Buckeyes are loaded, with Heisman favorite C.J. Stroud at quarterback, TreVeyon Henderson at running back and a plethora of talented receivers.

There is a reason why Ohio State has national championship aspirations, so expect a statement to be made on Saturday.

[ College football betting, Week 1: Can Ohio State cover against Notre Dame? Plus five more picks. ]

Buffalo at Maryland (-24) — Looking to build off a 7-6 campaign, Maryland should continue to find success through the air. Starting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa finished with 3,860 passing yards and 26 touchdowns, while receiver Rakim Jarrett caught 62 balls for 829 yards and five scores.

Colorado State at Michigan (-30.5) — It will be hard to replicate a magical 2021 season, but the Michigan Wolverines should take care of business in the opener. The Wolverines lost key players on the defensive side of the ball, but the offense should be pretty lethal. Receiver Ronnie Bell and running back Blake Corum will be focal points of this offense, which will play both Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy at quarterback this year.

Rutgers (+7) at Boston College — Rutgers begins the year on the road after going 5-7 in 2021. Quarterback Gavin Wimsatt, who was a consensus four-star prospect out of Kentucky, played four games in his first collegiate season last year. In his very first game, Wimsatt converted on fourth down of a game-winning drive at Illinois.

South Dakota State at Iowa — This will be Iowa’s lone game before its Week 2 battle with Iowa State. The Hawkeyes struggled on offense and were potent on defense while posting a 10-4 clip in 2021. That formula will be much of the same this year, especially with linebacker Jack Campbell coming back after leading the nation with 143 tackles last season.

North Dakota at Nebraska — Coming off a 3-9 season, Nebraska was supposed to be a prime positive regression candidate after losing eight games by a single score. The Cornhuskers ultimately dropped a 31-28 decision to Northwestern during Week 0 in Dublin, Ireland. Scott Frost’s squad will have four consecutive home games to bounce back with, starting with this week’s matchup against North Dakota.

Illinois State at Wisconsin — A more welcoming start for the Badgers, who began 2021 with a 16-10 loss to Penn State before finishing with a 9-4 overall record. The only real question about this game is deciding how many yards running back Braelon Allen will finish with. Allen finished with 1,268 yards and 12 touchdowns as a 17-year-old freshman last season.