Big Ten football odds to win 2023 conference championship: Michigan, Ohio State favored on betting board

Perhaps the toughest division in all of college football in its last year of divisions in the Big Ten is as good as ever. Featuring powerhouses like Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State, the East Division has reigned supreme. The Big Ten football odds heavily favor the East Division.

And, by the way, the East Division has never lost the Big Ten Championship game. 

Granted, the Leaders Division won the championship in the first two years they played the Big Ten Championship, which the Leaders Division is essentially now the Big Ten West. With that, though, the East has won every Big Ten Championship since 2013. 

We see that trend continuing. It is just a matter of which Big Ten East team represents the division in the championship game. The top three of Penn State, Ohio State & Michigan are all excellent football teams, so good that all are rated in the AP Top 6.

Each of the three has odds within +550 to win the Big Ten. The only team in the West Division with odds within +1000 is Wisconsin.

Big Ten championship odds: Penn State, Ohio State, and Michigan fighting for to spot

Here is the top of the Big Ten championship odds board at FanDuel Sportsbook heading into the weekend.

• Michigan (+125)
• Ohio State (+230)
• Penn State (+320)
• Wisconsin (+750)

... and a list of every teams' odds in the conference:

Big Ten betting favorites

The Big Ten is a weekly dogfight, and even outside the top three teams facing off, some good teams can pull off an upset on any game.

Just ask Ohio State, which recently struggled with Maryland. While some looked at that game with a side eye, the truth is Maryland is a pretty good football team. 

Michigan Wolverines

The Jim Harbaugh-led Wolverines are seeking their third straight Big Ten Championship and hoping to win a Playoff game and make it to a National Championship after losing in the semifinal each of the last two seasons.

The best competition they face, though, may not only be in their own conference but in their own division. 

Michigan has yet to face a quality opponent and won't see a stiff test until they play at Penn State on Nov. 11. After that, the Wolverines at Maryland host Ohio State in the last game of the regular season.

There may not be a tougher three-game stretch in college football this season. If Michigan wins each game, it would be hard not to think the Wolverines stand their best chance yet to win Jim Harbaugh's first national title.

Ohio State Buckeyes

The Buckeyes are still trying to bounce back after two straight losses to rival Michigan after two-plus decades of utter dominance over the boys in Ann Arbor.

Ohio State has played well this season, already beating a top-ten Notre Dame team and handling every other opponent on their schedule by 20+ points.

The Buckeyes have a big one this weekend against Penn State, where it would not be surprising to see the winner of the game leave the new favorite for odds to win the 2023 Big Ten Championship.

Penn State Nittany Lions

Only one thing has kept James Franklin and his Penn State teams from being the top team year after year in the Big Ten. That is an elite quarterback. The Nittany Lions may have finally found their man in Drew Allar, who was highly touted in high school but has also been excellent this season. 

The Nittany Lions have not needed Allar to carry too heavy of a load yet, but nonetheless, the Sophomore has a 141.4 rating, throwing for 9 TDs, and has yet to throw an interception this season.

Their game against Ohio State this weekend may be his chance to shine his star in primetime and introduce himself as a potential 2025 top quarterback in the NFL draft. 

Big Ten betting longshots

Wisconsin Badgers

The Badgers appear to be the best team in the West this season and are the only team on their side without a conference loss. The value for Wisconsin is there.

Even though it has been a long time since a West Division team has won the Big Ten Championship game, as the favorite to make it to Indianapolis, the Badgers need one game with a few lucky breaks to win the conference title.

2023 Big Ten Conference championship prediction: Penn State finally overcomes Michigan and Ohio State

The theme in football over the last decade has been that quarterbacks rule the world. You can be top five talented in every position group, but without a quarterback, you are not even likely to be a top ten team. The team with the best quarterback will likely be the one to win the Big Ten East and then win the 2023 Big Ten Championship.

That leaves the question of who is the best quarterback in the Big Ten. Is it Ohio State's Kyle McCord, Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, or Penn State's Drew Allar? Some may argue that McCarthy, the only returning starter of the three, is the best. It would be a fair argument, but Allar might have the highest ceiling. 

If Allar reaches that ceiling, he will lead Penn State to their first Big Ten Championship since 2016. Also, most sportsbooks have Penn State third in odds to win the 2023 Big Ten Championship. Giving sports bettors the best value on Penn State they may get all year, especially if the Nittany Lions beat Ohio State this weekend.