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Andrew Rogers
Rose Bowl Spread: Washington vs. Ohio State Odds, Prediction
The Buckeyes would much rather be playing in playoff, but a stunning 49-20 loss at Purdue rout was significant enough to keep Ohio State out of the national title picture.
Rose Bowl College Football Betting Analysis
Ohio State is a one-touchdown favourite in the first meeting between the teams since 2007 – and given how they played down the stretch, they’ll be a popular ATS option. The Buckeyes covered in three of their final four games, a stretch that included a 26-6 evisceration of Michigan State as a 3.5-point fave and a 62-39 obliteration of previously unbeaten Michigan at +3.5. The Huskies went just 4-9 ATS on the season, but did cover each of their final two games.
Oddsmakers are expecting plenty of offence here, with the total set at 58. But Washington comes in having played more than its share of low-scoring affairs against elite opponents, having gone 9-1 to the under in its past 10 vs. teams with winning records. The Huskies are also 10-3 to the under in their past 13 overall. Ohio State is 7-3 O/U in its past 10 following a cover but has slid below the number in five of its previous seven bowl appearances.
Washington Huskies
The Huskies still boast one of the most formidable defences in the country but underwhelmed on offence, ranking 83rd in scoring (26.6 points per game) while finishing 112th in the nation in red-zone conversion rate (78.0 percent). That said, even a modest improvement on offence could take significant pressure off a stout defence that held Washington State and Utah to a combined 18 points in its final two games of the season.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Dwayne Haskins is by far the best quarterback the Huskies will have faced this season – and given how the Buckeyes roasted the nation’s best defence for 62 points back on No. 24, Washington will have to work incredibly hard to contain them. But the Buckeyes can be exploited in the red zone, having scored on just 50 of their 66 trips. If the Huskies can limit Ohio State’s opportunities, it should do enough on offence to make this one interesting.
