College football odds and beating the sportsbook return Thursday. Ohio State and USC will be among four Top-25 teams kicking off their seasons that evening. The Buckeyes are primed to make a championship run; the Trojans have the talent but are ineligible after being slapped with NCAA sanctions in the offseason.

Marshall at No. 2 Ohio State (-28.5) – Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET (Big Ten Network)

The Buckeyes are massive favorites on Thursday, as well they should be. Ohio State isn’t just gunning for another Big Ten title—it’s after the National Championship. OSU is primed to go, and its title hopes largely rest on the shoulders of Terrell Pryor. Pryor is a Heisman caliber player but he needs to maintain consistency from wire-to-wire. That begins with the season opener against Marshall.

The Thundering Herd, meanwhile, are embarking on a new era as Doc Holliday takes over the team. Not only does Holliday return 14 starters from a team that went 7-6 last season, he hauled in a pretty respectable recruiting class. Like OSU, Marshall is looking for a little more consistency under center, though quarterback Brian Anderson can’t hold a candle to Pryor.

Marshall has some talent on both sides of the ball, but it’s not ready to hang with a legit championship contender. Sure, the Buckeyes want a little more consistency from Pryor, but he’ll make mincemeat out of the Thunder Herd. Throw in a great “D” that will overwhelm Marshall’s inexperienced backfield, and covering the 28.5-point spread doesn’t seem like a stretch at all.  ScoresOddsPicks.com says take the Buckeyes to cover.

For more information: Yes this game is an actual premium pick, but not the biggest one. Professional gamblers are not going to let up. Get the first two of many NCAAF winners already up for the Thursday card. The pro bettors have also added two NFLX for Thursday. It includes the ESPN Best Bet, yes a “named play” USC/Hawaii. ScoresOddsPicks USC-Hawaii lock is up right now.