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Week 7 Big Ten picks against the spread are here as we brace for a jam-packed weekend of action! Across the weekend, 7 games inside the conference will be played, including a few with big-time implications.
Undefeated Penn State will travel out to USC for a major matchup against the Trojans. While USC fell from the AP Top 25 with the loss to Minnesota, Lincoln Riley’s offense is always a tough matchup, especially with West Coast travel involved.
In Eugene, a pair of undefeated and top-5 programs meet in a matchup with massive Game of the Year potential. That includes Ohio State traveling to meet Oregon with the winner coming out of Week 7 with an inside track to Indianapolis for the B1G Championship Game and potentially the College Football Playoff.
As for my weekly picks, I’m coming off back-to-back weeks of a 3-5 record after a strong start to the season. That drops me dangerously close to the .500 mark, but here’s hoping for a big Week 7 to get safely above the breakeven mark!
Let’s dive into the picks.
All lines are featured via bet365.
Hammer’s Week 6 results: 3-5 ATS (Season record: 32-31)
Northwestern at Maryland (-10)
- PICK: Northwestern +10
Maryland had a bye week to work out some kinks, but I don’t believe one week is enough to fix the defensive issues. The Terps are 14th in the B1G at 21.8 points per game allowed. Meanwhile, Northwestern may have found some momentum offensively even in a loss to Indiana. Neither team has a favorable schedule the rest of the way, so I expect this to be a back-and-forth throughout.
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Washington at Iowa (-2.5)
- PICK: Washington +2.5
Washington has its issues both in terms of penalties and the kicking game. However, the Huskies are actually among the best teams in the B1G in defensive points per game (13.2). As for the Hawkeyes, they enter the game trying to re-find some offensive juice after being shutdown by Ohio State. Getting this game at 12 pm ET — at Kinnick — gives me some pause, but considering Iowa’s best win is Minnesota, I have some serious concerns.
Wisconsin at Rutgers (-2.5)
- PICK: Rutgers -2.5
Rutgers took its first loss of the season in a tough scorcher at Nebraska while Wisconsin got back in the win column with a blowout of Purdue. But anyone who has been watching this season knows to look past that performance by the Badgers. Purdue might be the worst program in a power conference, and I don’t see Wisconsin moving the ball consistently against Rutgers. Even if the Scarlet Knights struggle offensively, they’ll pull off enough key plays to get the win here.
Penn State (-5.5) at USC
- PICK: USC +5.5
Penn State is 0-2 ATS in B1G games, and the sudden absence of a less than 100% Nicholas Singleton is not enough to account for the struggles against UCLA. Now, the Nittany Lions are the team crossing the country to the West Coast, and they get a USC team that should certainly feel like it let one slip through its fingers. The Trojans also have an offense that, if it protects Miller Moss, can score points against anyone. On paper, I think the Nittany Lions should run right through and over USC. But the travel impact and the recent performances have me going with Penn State outright but in a nail-biter.
Purdue at Illinois (-19.5)
- PICK: Illinois -19.5
Purdue is squarely in the mix to be the worst power conference team of the season, and I have the Boilermakers as the worst team in the B1G to open the season. The Boilermakers are last in the conference in defensive points per game (36.8), 16th in offensive points per game (18.6) and tied for last in turnover margin (-6). That’s a recipe for disaster. Meanwhile, Illinois is tied for 4th in the conference for turnover margin at +5 with one of the most-improved QBs in the country. Illini roll in this one in a BIG way.
Ohio State (-3.5) at Oregon
- PICK: Oregon +3.5
If this line drops to Ohio State -3, I would possibly feel different. I think it’s still likely Ohio State wins outright in the game of the year, but the 3.5 points is tricky. The numbers show teams traveling to — and from — the West Coast in the B1G are struggling this season, and that’s to be expected. Maybe teams will figure out a perfect way to handle the travel in the future, but we’re not there yet. The Buckeyes and Ducks appear pretty evenly matched, so there’s no reason to think this game gets out of hand one way or the other, and that goes double for the traveling team.
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Minnesota (-5.5) at UCLA
- PICK: Minnesota -5.5
Minnesota has been playing better since a rough start to the season, even after a loss to Michigan in Week 5. On the flip side, UCLA has lost 4 straight and given up at least 30 points in 3 of those games. The Bruins took a big step forward defensively in spite of a loss to Penn State. Can they make it back-to-back games of slowing down the run? In the end, I think Darius Taylor’s versatility (6th in the B1G in yards from scrimmage per game with 121.6) is probably a bit too much for UCLA.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.