2023 Big 10 Football Betting Odds

Out of the power 5 conferences, the Big 10 is expected to be one of the most competitive this year, having recently produced two of the four CFB Playoff teams in 2022.

Michigan and Ohio State lost their respective semi-finals, but, together with Penn State, all three teams should be ranked in the top 10 by the end of the season.

This makes the battle for the conference title and playoff spots more intriguing by promising a lot of drama, which, for us bettors, creates a lot of rife betting opportunities.

And that’s what we’re going to discuss today!

So if you’re looking for the best Big 10 predictions, we’ve got you covered.

Let’s dive in!

2023 Big 10 Conference Football Betting Odds Reports

Michigan is the clear favorite in the conference and will be chasing a three-peat of Big 10 championship titles.

Ohio State, who narrowly missed out on the National Championship game, will also be a dominant force in the East Division alongside Penn State.

Truthfully, it doesn’t seem like teams from the West can compete with the big three in the conference.

In fact, you’d have to go back 10+ years to find the last time that a Western division team claimed the Big 10 (Wisconsin in 2012), and we’re expecting the gap between the two divisions to further widen this season.

With that, here is a preview of what we’re expecting from the top contenders in the conference.

The Favorites

Michigan

The Wolverines have dominated the Big 10 in the past two years, and completing a conference three-peat this year will further stamp their authority within the conference.

With an unbeaten 9-0 conference mark (13-1 overall) in 2022, their only defeat came in the Fiesta Bowl (CFP Semifinal) against TCU, falling at the same stage they did in 2021.

While National glory has eluded the Wolverines, there’s no denying that Jim Harbaugh has taken the program from strength to strength, making them the team to beat in the Big 10.

Overall, Harbaugh shouldn’t worry about too much reshuffling, with star players like QB J.J. McCarthy and RBs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards coming back to Ann Arbor for another season.

Since another conference title looks more than likely, the least of their targets should be the playoffs once again, and maybe they can go further than they have in the past two seasons.

They haven’t been national champs since 1997, and if you think this could be their year, you can back them at +1000 to win the National title.

Ohio State

Pure heartbreak.

That’s the only way to sum up Ohio State’s end to the 2022 season. With a few seconds left on the clock, they were one 50-yard field goal away from turning Georgia’s 15-0 record to 13-1, which would have instead earned them a spot at the national title game.

But just like Kicker Noah Ruggles, the Buckeyes will have to rally and go again this season, notably without QB C.J. Stroud.

Devin Brown and Kyle McCord will fight for that vacant quarterback spot, though, truthfully, replacing a top-tier talent like Stroud will be a hard task for coach Ryan Day and new offensive coordinator Brian Hartline.

Instead of chasing national glory, the main task for the Buckeyes should be clawing back their Big 10 dominance.

They won 4 consecutive conference titles from 2017 to 2020 and are one of the only two teams in the conference that could stop Michigan from achieving a 3-peat.

The Buckeyes ended the 2022 season with an 8-1 conference record last season (11-2) overall and are the 2nd favorites in the Big 10 behind Michigan.

When it comes to the National Championship, their pre-season odds are set at +750, the third-best in the country.

Penn State

The Nittany Lions closed out the year as the 7th best team in the country, and we think that another top ten finish is more than likely, and maybe even a spot in the playoffs.

But to do that, they’ll need to win the conference, which they last did in 2016 when head coach James Franklin was in his third season in charge of the program.

There are lots of reasons to back Penn State this year.

For starters, Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton, both sophomores now, impressed in their debut seasons and will boast tons of experience this year.

Olu Fashanu was out for the majority of the 2022 season due to injury, and his return will be a huge boost. Plus, QB Drew Allar — a 5-star prospect — will be raring to go this season and truly prove his talents.

If everything ticks for the team, this could be the year James Franklin leads the Nittany Lions to the playoffs for the first time under his tutelage.

Penn State notched a 7-2 conference record last year (11-2) overall, and the bookies have them priced at +2500 to win the national title.

The Contenders

Purdue

Purdue topped the West Division last year with a 6-3 conference record (8-6 overall) and went on to play the Big 10 championship game against Michigan, losing 43-22.

They aren’t favored this season, which is perfectly reflected by their +20000 odds for the national title, but we still expect the Boilermakers to be within touching distance of the top of the West Division.

There’s a lot of reshuffling, with a new head coach, Ryan Walters, who was most recently a defensive coordinator at Illinois.

Plus, losing key star players like signal-caller Aidan O’Connell, WR Charlie Jones, and TE Payne Durham further makes it hard for the Boilermakers, meaning that this could be a season for transitioning.

Purdue hasn’t won a conference title since 2000, and this doesn’t seem like it will be the year they break the curse.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is the last team from the Big 10 West Division to have won the conference, but that was all the way back in 2012!

Last season, they finished fifth in the West behind Purdue, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota with a losing 4-5 conference record (7-6 overall). So improving their win totals will be an integral priority for new head coach Luke Fickell, formerly of Cincinnati.

The bookies definitely think that the Badgers are a stronger team this season, as they have odds of +6000 to win the National Championship.

Iowa

Iowa was joint 2nd in the West Division last year, notching a 5-4 conference record and 8-5 overall.

The main area for Head Coach Kirk Ferentz and Offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz will be improving the team’s offense, given that they only averaged 17.7 points a game during the 2022 season.

QB Cade McNamara has joined from Michigan and should help the Hawkeyes improve their offense.

Still, they are ranked outsiders for both the conference and the national title, as they have odds of +20000 to make and win the National Championship game.

Illinois

Alongside Iowa, Illinois finished 2nd in the West with similar records (5-4 in the conference and 8-5 overall).

This will be Bret Bielema’s third season in the program, and he’ll want to turn things around if the team is expected to challenge for the conference title once again, which they last won in 2001.

The Fighting Illini’s odds for the National Championship are set at +25000, but it doesn’t seem like they’ll be claiming national honors anytime soon.

Past Big 10 Conference Football Champions

Year	Winner	Record
2022	Michigan	9-0
2021	Michigan	8-1
2020	Ohio State	5-0
2019	Ohio State	9-0
2018	Ohio State	8-1
2017	Ohio State	8-1
2016	Penn State	8-1
2015	Michigan State	7-1
2014	Ohio State	8-0
2013	Michigan State	8-0
2012	Wisconsin	4-4

How To Bet On Big 10 Conference Football Betting Odds

If you want to bet on the winner of the Big 10 conference, here’s how you’ll be able to do so at most sportsbooks:

• Pick your preferred college football betting site.
• Log in or create an account if you don’t have one.
• Head over to the football tab.
• Click on college football odds.
• Choose “Futures” and select Big 10 Conference winners.
• Select the team you want to back and place the bet.

Besides betting on the conference winner, most sites will also let you bet on individual games once the season begins.

For those who prefer placing futures bets, you should also be able to bet on the winner of the National Championship or other conference champions.

Keep in mind that some sites will limit your options or offer you less-than-ideal odds.

That’s why we recommend checking out plenty of sportsbooks beforehand and joining a couple of top-tier sites so that you can shop for the best odds and lines.

Betting Odds For Major NCAAF Conferences

2023 ACC Football Betting Odds

2023 Big 12 Football Betting Odds

2023 SEC Football Betting Odds

2023 Pac 12 Football Betting Odds