Week 9 of the college football season is dead ahead, and boy do we have a dandy for you! A Big Ten clash will be in the works on Saturday as the Ohio State Buckeyes travel to Madison to take on the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Let's take an exclusive sneak peek at our college football odds series where our Ohio State-Wisconsin prediction and pick will be made.

Through nine weeks, the Buckeyes are once again one of the nation's top teams and have a legitimate shot to threaten their arch-rivals in Michigan for the Big Ten title. As it stands, Ohio State is a perfect 7-0 including a 4-0 mark in the conference with expectations at the highest level. Can the Buckeyes continue down the path of their winning ways in an attempt to reach the College Football Playoff in back-to-back seasons?

On the other side of things, Wisconsin are quietly but surely having a solid campaign with a 5-2 record and are coming off a gritty 25-21 road win against Illinois. With head coach Luke Fickell in his first season at Madison, it is becoming clear that the right pieces are being put in place for the Badgers to return to the cream of the crop within the Big Ten.

Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Football Odds: Ohio State-Wisconsin Odds

Ohio State: -14.5 (-105)

Wisconsin: +14.5 (-115)

Over: 45.5 (-110)

Under: 45.5 (-110)

How to Watch Ohio State vs. Wisconsin Week 9

Time: 7:30 ET/4:30 PT

TV: NBC

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why Ohio State Will Cover The Spread

Not only will the Buckeyes have a supreme talent advantage while out on the gridiron on Saturday, but Ohio State's defense has exceeded expectations by a long shot. In a big-time top-ten matchup versus Penn State last weekend, it proved to be a ferocious Buckeyes defense that barely gave the Nittany Lions enough room to breathe. As a whole, Ohio State only surrendered 240 yards to Penn State. Even more impressively, but Penn State was an unfathomable 1/16 on third downs as the Buckeyes made their mark in getting off the field when they needed to. Alas, this defense is no joke, and the consensus is that Wisconsin's offense doesn't have the same amount of firepower as Penn State which bodes well for the Buckeyes.

All in all, it always helps to have the best player on the football field in wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. Already projected to be a top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Harrison Jr. has the ability to take it to the house on any given play and there's no doubt that he could change the tide of this contest in a blink of an eye. As it stands, it remains to be seen whether or not Ohio State can win a National Championship with QB Kyle McCord under center, but so far, so good.

Why Wisconsin  Will Cover The Spread

By the conclusion of the 2022 season, Wisconsin barely made a bowl game at 6-6 but were able to carry some much-needed momentum in the offseason. Now, the Badgers are the leaders in the Big Ten West division and could very well end up playing Ohio State yet again come December in the conference title game.

In order to shock the college football world with an upset win and at least keep this one close with a covering of the spread, then making backup freshman QB Braedyn Locke as comfortable as possible will be an absolute must. Unfortunately, starter Tanner Mordecai was dealt with a brutal injury which resulted in breaking his throwing hand and needing surgery thus effectively ending his season. Having a first-year quarterback take the reigns of the offense at this stage of the season against one of the nation's elite will be no easy task, so finding ways to run the ball efficiently and avoiding third-and-longs will be critical. Indeed, the Badgers' bread and butter is pounding the rock down the throats of their enemies. Overall, Wisconsin is ranked third in the conference with 180 rushing yards per game and this has to be on display this Saturday.

Scoring a vast amount of points against a next-level defense with an inexperienced signal caller seems like an uphill battle, so accumulating some stops defensively will also be vital. Bettors feeling brave enough to side with the Badgers in this one need to keep their eyes peeled for a unit that has tallied 18 sacks through seven games and has demonstrated their ability to get after the quarterback this fall.

Final Ohio State-Wisconsin Prediction & Pick

Without a doubt, it is always difficult to come into Camp Randall Stadium and pull of the win, but all together, selecting Ohio State to win my multiple touchdowns only seems right in this Big Ten showdown.

Final Ohio State-Wisconsin Prediction & Pick: Ohio State -14.5 (-105)