SportsLine Model picks Under in Ohio State vs Kent State — SkimNews
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- Ohio State hosts Kent State at noon ET Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus as 52.5-point favorites, one week after a 23-3 collapse at Texas dropped the Buckeyes from No. 1 to No. 6.
- Kent State enters at 1-1 after a 57-0 loss at South Carolina and a win over Wofford, and is 0-3 all-time against Ohio State — the last meeting a 66-0 loss in 2014.
- The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every FBS game 10,000 times and is on a 33-21 run on top-rated CFB money-line picks since 2024, picks the Under (59.5) in the matchup.
- The model projects Julian Sayin finishing with 284 yards and 2.5 touchdowns and Jeremiah Smith catching 6.5 passes for 102 yards, averaging 59 combined points.
- The model says one side of the 52.5-point spread hits in nearly 80% of its 10,000 simulations, with that specific pick available only at SportsLine.
- Ohio State's offense racked up 671 yards in a 56-3 rout of Ball State in Week 1, a more representative showing than the Texas loss in which Sayin still threw for 278 yards.
Why it matters: For bettors, the model's 33-21 money-line run since 2024 gives the Under pick more weight than a typical preview, and the near-80% spread-confidence claim is the kind of specific number that moves line-shopping decisions. For Ohio State, a 52.5-point spread after the Texas embarrassment turns this into a tone-setting rebound game before Big Ten play begins.
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