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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
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Phil Harrison

Big Ten and big game college football expert picks and predictions for Rivalry Week. Bring on Ohio State vs. Michigan.

Every year (and every week of the season) we have a little friendly competition among our writers for world domination when it comes to picking the Big Ten football games and some of the bigger college football contests as the season goes on.

After 12 weeks of play, it still looks like Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State are the class of the league and the East division with the Buckeyes and Wolverines on a massive collision course Saturday. Everyone but Iowa is an average mess with Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, and Wisconsin.

How will Week 13 play out in the Big Ten with rivalry games taking center stage? Our writers take turns picking all the games in the Big Ten straight up and against the spread. and since we’re in the full swing of conference play now, we’ll do the same drill on the top six contests in the nation outside of that (our “pick six”).

As a reminder, if there’s an asterisk next to the pick, that means the team will win, but not cover. If there is a tie, rather than have a cage match or old-fashioned duel, we’ll settle it with less violence and go with the tried, yet true, coin flip where George Washington has the say.

EXAMPLE:
– If you think Ohio State will win minus 3.5 over an opponent: OSU
– If you think Ohio State will win outright: OSU
– If you think Ohio State will win, but NOT cover: OSU*

Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.

Here are our expert picks for Week 13 (rivalry week) as we also look to close down the regular season. But first, here’s what the standings look like between our writers after last week’s action.

Results so far

Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Results of our picks and predictions so far

@PhilHarrisonBW: 108-38 (straight up), 76-70 (against the spread)
@MarkRussell1975: 115-31 SU, 83-63 ATS
@JoshKeatley16: 112-34 SU, 77-69 ATS
@MikeFChen: 112-34 SU, 74-72 ATS
@evanrbach: 119-27 SU, 84-62 ATS
CONSENSUS PICK: 118-28 SU, 83-63 ATS

Next … The Big Ten games and picks

Iowa at Nebraska

Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Friday, Nov. 24

Noon ET – CBS – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Nebraska -2.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Iowa
@MarkRussell1975: Iowa
@JoshKeatley16: Iowa
@MikeFChen: Iowa
@evanrbach: Iowa

CONSENSUS PICK: Iowa

Penn State at Michigan State

Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Friday, Nov. 24

7:30 p.m. ET – NBC – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Penn State -20.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Penn State
@MarkRussell1975: Penn State
@JoshKeatley16: Penn State
@MikeFChen: Penn State
@evanrbach: Penn State

CONSENSUS PICK: Penn State

Ohio State at Michigan

Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

Saturday, Nov. 25

Noon ET – Fox – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Michigan -3.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Michigan
@MarkRussell1975: Ohio State
@JoshKeatley16: Ohio State
@MikeFChen: Ohio State
@evanrbach: Ohio State

CONSENSUS PICK: Ohio State

Indiana at Purdue

Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Nov. 25

Noon ET – Big Ten Network – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Purdue -3.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Indiana
@MarkRussell1975: Purdue
@JoshKeatley16: Purdue
@MikeFChen: Purdue
@evanrbach: Purdue

CONSENSUS PICK: Purdue

Northwestern at Illinois

Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Nov. 25

3:30 p.m. ET – Big Ten Network – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Illinois -5.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Illinois*
@MarkRussell1975: Northwestern
@JoshKeatley16: Illinois
@MikeFChen: Illinois*
@evanrbach: Illinois*

CONSENSUS PICK: Illinois

Wisconsin at Minnesota

MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

Saturday, Nov. 25

3:30 p.m. ET – FS1 – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Wisconsin -2.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Wisconsin
@MarkRussell1975: Wisconsin
@JoshKeatley16: Wisconsin
@MikeFChen: Wisconsin
@evanrbach: Wisconsin

CONSENSUS PICK: Wisconsin

Maryland at Rutgers

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Nov. 25

3:30 p.m. ET – Big Ten Network – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Maryland -1.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Maryland
@MarkRussell1975: Maryland
@JoshKeatley16: Maryland
@MikeFChen: Rutgers
@evanrbach: Maryland

CONSENSUS PICK: Maryland

NEXT … The “Pick Six” biggest non-Big Ten games

Oregon State at Oregon

USA TODAY SMG

Friday, Nov. 24

8:30 p.m. ET – Fox – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Oregon -13.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Oregon*
@MarkRussell1975: Oregon*
@JoshKeatley16: Oregon
@MikeFChen: Oregon
@evanrbach: Oregon*

CONSENSUS PICK: Oregon*

Texas A&M at LSU

(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Saturday, Nov. 25

Noon ET – ESPN – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: LSU -11.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: LSU
@MarkRussell1975: LSU
@JoshKeatley16: LSU
@MikeFChen: LSU
@evanrbach: LSU*

CONSENSUS PICK: LSU

Kentucky at Louisville

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Nov. 25

Noon ET – ABC – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Louisville -7.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Louisville
@MarkRussell1975: Louisville
@JoshKeatley16: Louisville*
@MikeFChen: Louisville*
@evanrbach: Louisville*

CONSENSUS PICK: Louisville

Alabama at Auburn

USA TODAY SMG

Saturday, Nov. 25

3:30 p.m. ET – CBS – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Alabama -14.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Alabama
@MarkRussell1975: Alabama
@JoshKeatley16: Alabama
@MikeFChen: Alabama
@evanrbach: Alabama

CONSENSUS PICK: Alabama

Florida State at Florida

(Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)

Saturday, Nov. 25

7 p.m. ET – ESPN – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Florida State -6.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Florida State
@MarkRussell1975: Florida State*
@JoshKeatley16: Florida State
@MikeFChen: Florida State
@evanrbach: Florida State

CONSENSUS PICK: Florida State

Georgia at Georgia Tech

Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Saturday, Nov. 25

7:30 p.m. ET – ABC – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Georgia -24.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Georgia
@MarkRussell1975: Georgia*
@JoshKeatley16: Georgia
@MikeFChen: Georgia
@evanrbach: Georgia

CONSENSUS PICK: Georgia

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