Ohio State vs. Indiana odds 2017: Buckeyes big favorite in season opener

The Ohio State Buckeyes are 23-0-1 straight up in their last 24 games against the Indiana Hoosiers. The Buckeyes will attempt to extend their current winning streak over Indiana to 23 games when they visit the Hoosiers this Thursday night.

Ohio State is a 21.5-point road favorite in Bloomington at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. In their last 15 games as a favorite of three touchdowns or more, the Buckeyes are 5-10 against the spread.

Ohio State Buckeyes

The Buckeyes had an up-and-down regular season in 2016 that was more reflected in their 6-6 ATS record than it was in their 11-1 SU record. Ohio State losing to Clemson 31-0 in the postseason was one of the worst losses of Urban Meyer's career, and he and quarterback JT Barrett return this season with a major chip on their shoulders.

The team will have plenty of competition this year in a loaded Big Ten, but it still enters 2017 as the favorite to win the conference title thanks to a wealth of talent on both sides of the ball.

Despite owning the Hoosiers in the win-loss column, the Buckeyes are 0-6 ATS in their last six games against Indiana per the OddsShark College Football Database.

Betting Line / Total: Ohio State -21.5 / 58 Points

The total has gone UNDER in three of Ohio State's last four games against Indiana.

The total has gone UNDER in six of Indiana's last seven games as an underdog.

Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana hasn't had a winning season since 2007, and that year's 7-6 SU record was the program's only winning record since 1994. Last year's defensive coordinator Tom Allen takes over as head coach this season, and he will have nine of his starters back from last year's defensive unit. The defense should be the strength of this year's team, but the offense can't afford to take a step backward in the loaded Big Ten East.

The Hoosiers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games as a double-digit home underdog.

Thursday night's total is set at 58 points at online betting sites. The UNDER is 3-1 in the last four games between the Buckeyes and Hoosiers.

With the talent discrepancy between these two teams, Indiana has no legitimate chance of winning this game outright. But the Hoosiers have covered the spread six straight times against the Buckeyes, and plenty of trends point to them keeping the game within 20 points to do so again.

Ohio State Buckeyes at Indiana Hoosiers

When: Thursday, Aug. 31, 8 p.m. ET

Where: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Ind.

Buckeyes at Hoosiers OddsShark Matchup Report