Ohio State (11-2) and Oregon (13-0) will meet in the Rose Bowl for the second time this season. The College Football Playoff quarterfinals will kick off at 5 p.m. ET (ESPN) with the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
We are favoring the underdog in our predictions for Ohio State vs. Oregon as part of our predictions for this week's college bowl games. Our top betting oddsmakers have the Bucs as 2.5-point favorites after a loss to the Ducks last October.
While the winner of tonight's matchup will have to win two more games to claim the national title, this could be the toughest test for either team. Our Brendan Schaeffer highlights a few key players that could impact the outcome in his prediction for Ohio State vs. Oregon.
Our college bowl game waiver wire tracker will bring you the latest waiver wire news and how it will affect college bowl game odds.
Ohio State vs Oregon: prediction and top pick: CFP Rose Bowl
Soccer predictions are based on odds from our top soccer betting sites. Odds are subject to change.
Against the Spread: Oregon +2.5 (-110 via BetMGM) vs. Ohio State ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My top pick: Jeremiah Smith, any touchdown (+100 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ohio State vs. Oregon matchup prediction with odds included
Oregon will cover the spread: +2.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Best odds: -110 via BetMGM | Estimated probability: 52.38%
I have one rule for betting on soccer championship playoff games: trust the team with the advantage in the trenches. Line play is invariably the most important aspect of the game when the stakes are high.
This could be bad news for the Bucs. Their offensive line is severely thinned, with Josh Simmons and Seth McLaughlin out of action and Zan Michalski entering the portal.
The Ducks rank fifth in the country in passer rating (PFF), so they could make life difficult for OSU quarterback Will Howard. Oregon's offensive line is also credible, ranking in the top 30 in run and pass blocking.
Dan Lanning's team has been my odds-on favorite for the college soccer championship since January. I'm backing the Ducks in their most important matchup in years.
Ohio State vs. Oregon is the best pick
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Jeremiah Smith - touchdown anytime ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Best Odds: +100 via FanDuel | Estimated Probability: 50%
Oregon's defensive line should decide this game, but Ohio State won't be completely unstoppable on Wednesday. The Buckeyes have too many weapons, including freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith.
Smith threw nine passes for 100 yards and one touchdown against Oregon when these teams met earlier this season. Smith admitted that he's better today than he was in that game, a statement that would normally seem bold if he hadn't just scored two touchdowns against Tennessee.
Smith has scored 12 touchdowns this season, destroying any cornerback who tries to defend him one-on-one. His chances of scoring a touchdown are better than the odds of flipping a coin, especially when you consider that the game could be a high-scoring affair.
Odds for the Ohio State vs Oregon match:
Ohio State: -1.5 (-110 via BetMGM)
Oregon: +1.5 (-110 via BetMGM)
Odds movement in the Ohio State vs Oregon matchup
When these teams met in October, Ohio State was winning by a one-point margin. Despite that result, the Bucs opened as 1.5-point favorites in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at BetMGM. The spread didn't change much one way or the other, but Ohio State's public money had it up to 2.5 points before kickoff.
CFP Rose Bowl Game Information
When: Wednesday, Jan. 1
Kickoff: 5:00 p.m. ET
Where: Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.)
How to watch: ESPN
Weather: 70 degrees, 0% chance of precipitation, 14 mph winds S
