Steve Starr
- Ohio State (+160) and Michigan (+175) are co-favorites to win the Big Ten
- Either the Buckeyes or Wolverines have won the conference in each of the past six seasons
- The 2023 Big Ten Football Championship Game will be played in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023 at 8pm ET
Michigan is looking for its third-straight Big Ten title after bludgeoning Ohio State in each of the past two years. Yet, the Buckeyes are slight favorites to win the conference heading into Week 1.
Will Jim Harbaugh take down Ryan Day again? Before we look at the Big Ten Football Championship futures, be sure to check out our 2023-24 College Football Betting sites and our tips for betting on the NCAAF National Championship.
Odds to win Big Ten Conference 2023
| Team |  |  |  |
| Ohio State | +160 | +160 | +160 |
| Michigan | +175 | +175 | +175 |
| Penn State | +550 | +550 | +550 |
| Wisconsin | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| Iowa | +1100 | +1100 | +1100 |
| Illinois | +3300 | +3300 | +3300 |
| Minnesota | +3300 | +3300 | +3300 |
| Maryland | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
| Nebraska | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 |
| Michigan State | +7500 | +7500 | +7500 |
| Indiana | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 |
| Northwestern | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 |
| Purdue | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 |
| Rutgers | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 |
Buckeyes slight favorites
Ohio State is a +160 favorite to win their first Big Ten title since 2020. Coming off a heart-breaking 42-41 loss to Georgia in the CFP national semifinal, the Buckeyes have replaced No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud with five-star quarterback Kyle McCord. He’ll be throwing the rock to both Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, who combined for over 2,400 receiving yards 24 touchdowns in their sophomore campaigns.
The question, as always, for any Ryan Day-coached team is the defense. They permitted 87 points in their last two games against Georgia and Michigan last season. In the 45-23 loss to the Wolverines, Jim Knowles’ unit allowed Donovan Edwards to rack up 216 yards and two touchdowns.
Jim Harbaugh opened Monday press conference with renewed call for student-athlete revenue-sharing https://t.co/CsaBgu6XGY pic.twitter.com/AGT2ozDLGT
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 28, 2023
Michigan aim for another Big Ten title
Michigan (+175) is coming off a disappointing CFP semifinal loss to TCU. Otherwise it was a fine season for Jim Harbaugh’s club, which finished 13-1 overall and 9-0 in the Big Ten. The coach will have both his blue-chip RBs, Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, back for this season. And quarterback J.J. McCarthy returns behind one of the nation’s best offensive lines.
This could be the Wolverines’ best opportunity to win a national title since it last won one in 1997.
Other conference contenders?
Penn State (+550) won the Big Ten championship way back in 2016 – it was the last time neither the Buckeyes nor the Wolverines secured the conference title. Hopes are high in Happy Valley this year after a 11-2 season. The Nittany Lions have replaced Sean Clifford with five-star prospect Drew Allar. Nicholas Singleton is also a top-three favorite for the Doak Walker Award, which goes to the best running back in college football.
Wisconsin (+750) looks like the top team in the Big Ten West. Their new coach Luke Fickell won 10 games three different times with Cincinnati and the Badgers have way more talent than the Bearcats.
Penn State's best player? 🤔https://t.co/NX4Otf7K7N
— Black Shoe Diaries (@BSDtweet) August 24, 2023
Best Bet
If it’s anything like previous years, the Big Ten Championship will come down to the Nov. 25th matchup between the Buckeyes and Wolverines, which just so happens to be in the Big House this year.
While Michigan probably needs to find more balance in their offense to win a national championship, running the ball works just fine against Ohio State. Jim Harbaugh’s horses in the backfield have 549 yards on the ground against their conference rivals the past two years. Take Michigan at +175.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
