Trent Reinsmith
- What: 2022 Big Ten Championship Game
- Date: Saturday, December 3, 2022
- Location: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana
- Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: FOX
As we head into the fifth week of the 2022 NCAA Football schedule, there are four Big Ten Conference teams with perfect 4-0 records. Each of those clubs, the Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions and the Minnesota Golden Gophers are ranked inside the top 25 in the latest AP Poll. Those four teams are all also 1-0 in the Big Ten Conference for the 2022 NCAAF season.
Last year, the Michigan Wolverines and the Iowa Hawkeyes faced off in the 2021 Big Ten Championship Game. The Wolverines won that matchup, defeating the Hawkeyes 42-3. The Michigan defense held Iowa to a first-quarter field goal.
Michigan is in the mix to repeat as Big Ten Champions in 2022, but they are not the favorite to claim the Big Ten Crown in 2022, that nod goes to Ohio State in the early picks to win the conference.
Before we look at what teams are picked to contend for the top spot in the Big Ten in 2022, be sure to check out the current NCAAF Betting opportunities and our guide to betting on the 2022 NCAAF National Championship.
2022 NCAAF Big Ten Championship picks
| To Win Big 10 in 2022 |  |  |
| Ohio State | -275 | -242 |
| Michigan | +500 | +470 |
| Minnesota | +750 | +900 |
| Penn State | +1200 | +950 |
| Wisconsin | +2500 | +2300 |
| Iowa | +4000 | +3200 |
| Purdue | +5000 | +4800 |
| Illinois | +10000 | +22000 |
| Nebraska | +20000 | +18000 |
| Michigan State | +20000 | +5000 |
| Maryland | +20000 | +15000 |
| Indiana | +30000 | +14000 |
| Northwestern | +40000 | +36000 |
| Rutgers | +100000 | +32000 |
Ohio State
The Ohio State Buckeyes had the most productive offense in the Big Ten in 2021. Last year the team averaged 561.2 yards per game. The team, which should see most of its offensive starters end up in the NFL, is once again tops in that department. For the 2022 NCAA Football season, the Buckeyes are averaging 558.8 yards of offense per game.
Ohio’s defense was its weak spot in 2021. The team gave up an average of 366.6 yards per game. The Buckeyes have improved a great deal on that front for the 2022 NCAAF campaign, averaging 283 yards per game, which put them in the top half of the Big Ten.
Michigan
The defending Big Ten champs are off to a solid start in terms of offense and defense in 2022. The Wolverines have a balanced offensive attack this year. Michigan is averaging 489 yards of offense per outing, with 254.8 of those yards coming via the air and 234.3 via the ground. The team’s 50 points per game is tops in the Big Ten.
Defensively, the Wolverines limit their opponents to 244.8 yards per game and hold them to just an average of 11 points per outing.
Minnesota
The Minnesota Golden Gophers finished the 2021 NCAA Football season with an 9-4 record overall and a 6-3 mark in the Big Ten. Last year’s team was strong on defense, where they ranked second in fewest yards allowed (284.8), but not so great on the offensive side of the ball, where they were ninth in the Big Ten with an average of 360 yards per game.
Things have turned around for Minnesota in 2022. This season, the team ranks second in offensive yards per game with 543. Of that output, 248.5 yards have come via rushing and 294.5 through the air. As for defense, the Golden Gophers are first in the Big Ten, giving up just 187.8 yards per game. Meanwhile, the team is second in fewest points allowed at six per game.
Our pick
The questions facing Ohio State this year were centered around the team’s defense. Right now, it looks like the team has fixed what ailed it during the 2021 NCAAF campaign. With that, the best bet to win the 2022 Big Ten NCAAF Big Ten Championship are the Ohio State Buckeyes.
If you are looking for a value bet, Michigan should be the way you lean.
Pick: Ohio State Buckeyes to win 2022 Big Ten Championship Game.
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