Week 2 college football betting trends reveal key insights about expectations around Ohio State football

The Ohio State Buckeyes failed to cover in Week 1 against the Akron Zips, and enter Week 2 as huge favorites once again. Despite being favored by 38 against Western Michigan, the Buckeyes are getting a lot of public betting support.

We look at the Ohio State vs. Western Michigan betting trends for college football Week 2 to see what you should know and what it means for the Buckeyes in 2024.

Ohio State Football Betting Trends

The Buckeyes are only 2-4-1 against the spread in their last seven games despite winning 12 of their last 14 outright. That means something is amiss between the actual on-field play and expectations around the Buckeyes. This is seemingly backed by the Week 2 betting trend of Ohio State vs. Western Michigan.

A whopping 96 percent of bettors have taken the Buckeyes to cover the 38-point spread against the Broncos, per Ben Fawkes.

This is the second-largest handle of the week, trailing only Ole Miss' 42.5-point differential. What does this say about the Buckeyes? It says that the public feels confident in both their overall talent and coaching staff, despite the production that suggests Ohio State hasn't scored as effectively as expected.

There's a difference in expectation versus reality with what the Buckeyes are trying to accomplish. The UNDER has hit in eight of Ohio State's last 11 games and five of their last six. The betting odds don't reflect this, though, and a 38-point spread doesn't suggest bettors care that oddsmakers are raking them over the coals.

Having said that, I picked Ohio State to cover and go OVER because the matchup favors the Buckeyes. But knowing the value of how the public is so optimistic about Ohio State is big.

The Buckeyes are trying to break in a new quarterback, starting receivers, running back, and offensive coordinator. The offensive line is also not very effective. Their keys to this game will not decide whether they win but whether they'll cover expectations.

Consistently falling short of meeting expectations is a major deal. It often reveals a team that will lose before winning it all, as we constantly see in the NFL. While we're not near that point with this Ohio State team, especially since trends can be conveniently tweaked to fill a narrative, we do want to see the Buckeyes gel well enough to cover high spreads and meet bettors' instincts.

Are you betting on the Buckeyes in Week 2? Let me know!