From the heart of the Big Ten Conference in Chicago, HuskerMax’s self-proclaimed “Big Ten expert” Matt McMaster gives his picks against the spread. See McMaster’s Big Ten Pick’em below.

Point spreads via ESPN.

Michigan State @ Oregon (-23.5)

It’s another tough road matchup for the Spartans this week. I still believe in Aidan Chiles and the defense gets back on track after five bad quarters of play. MSU doesn’t win outright, but 23.5 points is too much to lay for an Oregon team that has struggled against lesser opponents this season. 

The Pick: Michigan State +23.5 

UCLA @ Penn State (-28)

UCLA is in a transition period as a program right now, facing off against a Penn State team primed to get over the hump. After their lackluster offensive performance against the Illini this Penn State team will come out firing against the Bruins. There are a lot of points to give up, but no unit for UCLA is better than PSU.

The pick: Penn State -28

Purdue @ Wisconsin (-13.5)

These are two teams I’m incredibly low on this year. This Wisconsin offense has no identity. They’re made to be an air raid team, but now, with a backup quarterback, they’ve been forced to run the ball more, something this team isn’t made to do. I rarely recommend betting on the Wisconsin Badgers, but the Purdue Boilermakers are one of the worst teams in the country. Their defense plays hard, thanks to their head coach, Ryan Walters, but the offense has almost nothing to offer. The Offensive line is abysmal, and Hudson Card has no one to throw to.

The pick: Wisconsin -13.5 

Iowa @ Ohio State (-18.5)

This is the easiest pick of the week. The Ohio State offense vs. the Iowa defense will be a great battle to watch. OSU’s hyper-talented O vs the tough and incredibly well-coached Hawkeye D is alone worth the price of admission. That said, the Iowa offense won’t score a point. The Buckeyes are ranked first in opponent points per game and in the top five in opponent total yards and rushing yards per game. That does not bode well for the rushing attack of the Hawkeyes. Ohio State’s weakness is its passing defense, which “only” ranks in the top 20 in most statistics. The problem for Iowa is that they can’t throw the ball. This bet really comes down to one question: “Can OSU score more than 18 points against Iowa.” My answer to that question is yes.

The pick: Ohio State -18.5*** MCMASTER’S LOCK OF THE WEEK 

Indiana @ Northwestern (+14)

Northwestern is the worst team in the Big Ten, going up against the hottest team in the country. This solid Northwestern defense will challenge Kurtis Rourke and the Hoosiers, but the Cats’ offense won’t be able to move down the field against IU. 

The pick: Indiana -14

Rutgers @ Nebraska 

This is my Big Ten game of the week. It’s going to be a hard-nosed football game between two teams who want to win more than they can breathe. Two things will matter the most in this game: third downs and special teams. Rutgers wins both battles and wins outright in Lincoln. 

The Pick: Rutgers +7

Michigan @ Washington (+1)

I get it. Michigan struggled last week against Minnesota, and thanks to a missed call, they narrowly escaped their home base with a victory. I understand they’re on the road against a serviceable Washington team that will compete with them, but I still believe in the Wolverines. This defense is still full of elite talent, and Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards provide enough offensive punch to win games. Quarterback problems will restrict them from beating the best of the conference but it won’t stop them from defeating Washington. 

The pick: Michigan (-1)

USC @ Minnesota (+8.5)

The No. 11 USC Trojans take on a Golden Gophers team that is feeling good about itself after an impressive road performance against the defending national champions. Unfortunately for Minnesota, the weather will not be a dominating factor in this one, as the forecast calls for a brisk 71-degree night. Despite not having Mother Nature on their side, this is not a terrible matchup for the Gophers. Anytime you play the Trojans, the top concern is keeping up with the high-powered Lincoln Riley offense. Still, Minnesota has a weapon to combat that: running back Darius Taylor. Taylor is averaging 5.8 yards per carry through four games. If the Gophers can commit to the run, they can expose a weak USC rush defense and squeeze out the clock, not allowing the Trojans to make this contest into a boat race. 

The Pick: Minnesota +8.5

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