It’s Tennessee traveling to Ohio State in a first-round matchup in the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes are a 7.5-point favorite but come off a stunning loss to Michigan. The winner of this advances to the quarterfinals to face Oregon at the Rose Bowl.
Tennessee vs Ohio State Preview
Call it the worst time to struggle but that’s exactly what’s happened to Ohio State after struggling mightily against unranked Michigan a few weeks ago, losing outright as 20-point favorites at home. That gives the Vols some much needed confidence coming in as road underdogs. Tennessee has fared well this season beating several ranked teams including NC State, Oklahoma and Alabama and covered the spread in those wins. Plus, they hung in tough against Georgia, tied at the half before the Bulldogs pulled away. Nico Iamaleava has 8 touchdown passes in his last two games and will need to find a way to find openings against the number one scoring defense in the nation. The Buckeyes allow an average of 10.9 PPG and 241.5 YPG. Points will be a premium in this one as OSU has surrendered more than two majors just three times this season. It’s the playoffs, and it will be about the defense. The Buckeyes have hit the UNDER in five of the last six while the Volunteers have gone UNDER in four of the last 5 vs top 25 defense.
Best Bet: UNDER 47 (-115)
Player Prop Best Bets
Dylan Sampson: OVER 100 Rushing Yards (-105)
Dylan Sampson is the main piece to the Vols ground attack rushing for 1,485 yards and 22 touchdowns. He’s surpassed the 100-yard mark ten times this season including 101 yards against Georgia, and 139 yards on Alabama while scoring at least one touchdown in each of those games.
Jeremiah Smith: OVER 69.5 Receiving Yards -114
Jeremiah Smith is the main target in OSU’s passing game. Will Howard will try to stretch the Vols secondary and Smith’s style will create some opportunities for big gains. It is the playoffs so the Buckeyes need to use their strengths on offense, and Smith is a big piece to that puzzle.
Game Betting Odds
Tennessee +7.5
Ohio State -7.5
Total: 47
Moneyline: Tennessee +230, Ohio State -280
Recent Betting Trends
The total went over in 4 of Tennessee’s last 5 games
Ohio State is 4-4 ATS as the home favorite this season
The total went under in 4 of Ohio State’s last 5 games at home
Tennessee is 5-13 against the spread in its last 18 games as the underdog
Tennessee is 3-1 against the spread (75%) against ranked opponents
Ohio State is 6-6 ATS as the favorite in 2024
