Point Spreads: Toss-Up Friday for Purdue, And Why Does Everyone Suddenly Love Michigan Again?

This just might be the best week yet in the Big Ten, with Week 5 highlighting two divisional showdowns that could very likely settle the participants in the conference title game.

In the Big Ten East, it's No. 9 Indiana at No. 3 Ohio State, where the Buckeyes are still basically a three-touchdown favorite. And in the West, No. 10 Wisconsin travels to No. 19 Northwestern looking to get a leg up in the division race.

These are the only four unbeaten teams left in the league, so the winners Saturday will be on the fast track to the Dec. 19 title game in Indianapolis.

We've lost one game already this week, with Maryland having to cancel its game with Michigan State because of COVID-19 issues inside the Terrapins' program.

And you're curious about my pal Walter Ego? He went 2-2 last week and is now 12-4 on Big Ten ames this season. He loaded up on Indiana minus-7 against Michigan State and won easy, so they freezer is full of steaks. This week, he loves Indiana and booked it at 21.5, is taking a small flyer on Minnesota tonight and likes Wisconsin over Northwestern. He bet that early too, and is locked it at 6.5 with a good chunk. He too is stunned that Rutgers keeps getting more points and is starting to wonder if the Scarlet Knights be worth a stack or two. For now, he's holding off though, even though those double-digit points are enticing.

Here is our latest Big Ten breakdown for Week 5, with a game on Friday and a full slate on Saturday the weekend before Thanksgiving:

Purdue at Minnesota (Friday)

GAMETIME: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: Big Ten Network
RECORDS: Purdue (2-1); Minnesota (1-3)
LAST WEEK: Purdue lost to Northwestern 27-20; Minnesota lost to Iowa 35-7.
OPENING LINE: Purdue minus-2.5
FRIDAY'S LINE: Purdue minus-1.5
THE SKINNY: Minnesota was a slight underdog last Friday night too, and got pounded by Iowa. Gophers are tough to figure this season. Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan was just 16-for-33 passing for 167 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions last week. Rashod Bateman caught eight balls for 111 yards, and he needs to have a big game for the Gophers to get back in the win column.

Indiana at Ohio State

GAMETIME: Noon ET
TV: FOX
RECORDS: Indiana (4-0); Ohio State (3-0)
LAST WEEK: Indiana beat Michigan State 24-0; Ohio State did not play.
OPENING LINE: Ohio State minus-21.5
FRIDAY'S LINE: Ohio State minus-20.5
THE SKINNY: That sure seems like a lot of points for a top-10 matchup, but it's hard to deny how much Ohio State has dominated. The Buckeyes won by 41 points last year, 23 the year before and 28 points in 2017. That's an average margin of victory of 30.7 points. Indiana, as we know, is much better this year, though. It will be interesting to watch that number all week. The line has ticked down slightly in Indiana's direction, but not much.

Illinois at Nebraska

GAMETIME: Noon ET
TV: Big Ten Network
RECORDS: Illinois (1-3); Nebraska (1-2)
LAST WEEK: Illinois beat Rutgers 23-20; Nebraska beat Penn State 30-23.
OPENING LINE: Nebraska minus-14.5
FRIDAY'S LINE: Still Nebraska minus-14.5
THE SKINNY: Nebraska got its first win of the season, and found some things offensively. Illinois deserves a lot of credit for getting a win at Rutgers, considering all that they've dealt with with COVID. The Illini play hard for Lovie Smith, so this seems like a lot of points, doesn't it?

Wisconsin at Northwestern

GAMETIME: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
RECORDS: Wisconsin (2-0); Northwestern (4-0)
LAST WEEK: Wisconsin beat Michigan 49-11; Northwestern beat Purdue 27-20.
OPENING LINE: Wisconsin minus-6.5
FRIDAY'S LINE: Wisconsin minus-7.5
THE SKINNY: The winner of this game will be the likely Big Ten West representative in the conference championship game. Wisconsin looked great after two weeks off because of a COVID-19 outbreak, pounding Michigan. Northwestern has already won more games than it did a year ago (3-9) and quarterback Peyton Ramsey has been a big reason why. The Wildcats aren't blowing anyone out lately – their last three wins have been by a combined 16 points — but they keep finding a way to win. Their defense has been great, especially in the second half, but they also haven't seen an offense as good as Wisconsin's.

Iowa at Penn State

GAMETIME: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: Big Ten Network
RECORDS: Iowa (2-2); Penn State (0-4)
LAST WEEK: Iowa beat Minnesota 35-7; Penn State lost to Nebraska 30-23.
OPENING LINE: Iowa minus-2.5
FRIDAY'S LINE: Iowa minus-2.5
THE SKINNY: It's stunning that Penn State has lost four games in a row and now has a quarterback controversy on its hands. And now here comes Iowa, who's looked better than anyone the past two weeks in routs over Michigan State and Minnesota. Could the Nittany Lions really go to 0-5? Money has been steady on both sides so far this week, so it seems like something of a toss-up.

Michigan at Rutgers

GAMETIME: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: Big Ten Network
RECORDS: Michigan (1-3); Rutgers (1-3)
LAST WEEK: Michigan lost to Wisconsin 49-11; Rutgers lost to Illinois 23-20.
OPENING LINE: Michigan minus-8.5
FRIDAY'S LINE: Michigan minus-11
THE SKINNY: No line has moved more than this one, and it's sort of hard to figure out. The vast majority of the money is coming in on Michigan, a team that's looked absolutely brutal the past three weeks. That tough last-second loss had to really sting for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights are much better than they've been recently with Greg Schiano at the helm, but they're going to want some wins to show for it. Can they do something stunning here.

Michigan State at Maryland

GAMETIME: CANCELED
TV: None
RECORDS: Michigan State (1-3); Maryland (2-1)
LAST WEEK: Michigan State lost to Indiana 24-0; Maryland did not play.
OPENING LINE: Maryland minus-6.5
THE SKINNY: Maryland had to cancel its second straight game because of COVID-19 concerns. The Terrapins are supposed to play at Indiana next weekend.

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