Tennessee will travel away from the ol' Rocky Top to Columbus to visit Ohio State, who are hosting the College Football Playoff first-round duel. BetMGM has the Buckeyes as 7.5-point favorites at Ohio Stadium, where they've just suffered their first loss since November 2022.
The winner of this matchup with advance to the CFP Quarterfinals against Oregon in Pasadena, California. FanDuel has listed hypothetical odds for the Rose Bowl, tagging Ohio State as 1.5-point 'dogs and Tennessee as 4.5-point 'dogs vs Oregon if they should meet.
Tennessee vs Ohio State Odds
Matchup Page: Tennessee vs Ohio State, Dec. 21, 8:00 pm ET
| Teams | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Volunteers | +7.5 (-115) | +220 | O46.5 (-112) |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | -7.5 (-105) | -275 | U46.5 (-108) |
Odds as of December 17 at BetMGM
Tennessee vs Ohio State Picks—College Football Playoff First Round
It's poor timing to say the least. Ohio State has shown brutal signs of weakness on its home field after being embarrassed by an unranked Michigan, 13-10. That definitely gives Tennessee some scary confidence ahead of kick off.
The Vols have a eye-catching resume this season, defeating a ranked NC State, Oklahoma and Alabama -- covering the spread in each given matchup. Not to mention, Josh Heupel put up a fight against Georgia, leading in the first quarter.
Completing 57% of his passes and two interceptions for the first time this year, Will Howard is coming off his worst game of the season and it's not even close. Can he dial it back in? Meanwhile, Nico Iamaleava has sniped eight passing touchdowns across his last two performances.
Despite reasons for an increase in confidence, the Vols need to stay level-headed. Ohio State's defense should not be taken lightly, ranking as the No. 1 scoring defense while also allowing the fewest total yards (241.5). They've only allowed more than two touchdowns three times this year.
I truly can see how this dub falls in either programs lap. Instead, I'm going for the UNDER set at 47.5-points. The Buckeyes have hit the UNDER in five of their last six while the Volunteers have also cashed the UNDER in 4 of their last 5 games vs. top 25 scoring defenses.
Tennessee vs Ohio State College Football Playoff Pick: UNDER 47.5 (-115)
Tennessee vs Ohio State News
There's a bit of drama looming for Ohio State. After falling to Michigan for the fourth-straight time, there's whispers about Ryan Day's job security with the Buckeyes. Making the CFP once in the last year, which was as a fourth-seed, Day has been criticized for his recruiting skills and Ohio State's lack-of-depth has interfered with his program being the national threat it could be.
With his job potentially on the line, will Day succumb to the pressure?
Tennessee vs Ohio State Bet: dylan sampson OVER 90+ Rushing Yards (-130)
Sampson is the heart and soul of Tennessee's ground attack, totalling 1,485 yards and 22 touchdowns across the regular season. The junior has eclipsed 90-yards in all but one meeting this year and has gone the extra mile by recording 101-yards or more in 10 performances.
Sampson has faced four ranked teams this season but his stats didn't budge. He hung 101 yards on Georgia, 139 yards on Alabama, 92 yards on Oklahoma and 132 yards on NC State -- while scoring at least one touchdown in each of those meetings, too.
Tennessee vs Ohio State Betting Trends
Tennessee is 2-4 (33.3%) ATS in its last 6 games vs. top 25 scoring defenses
The UNDER hit in 4 of Tennessee's last 5 games vs. top 25 scoring defenses
Ohio State is 18-2 SU and 12-7-1 ATS when home favorites of 7.5-points or more
