Ohio State vs. Texas football picks: What the oddsmakers say

Oddsmakers reveal early predictions for Ohio State vs. Texas in the College Football Playoff Cotton Bowl semifinal game.

Ohio State vs. Texas football picks, odds / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State and Texas will face off in the College Football Playoff Cotton Bowl semifinal game. Let’s take a look at the early predictions for the matchup from the oddsmakers.

Ohio State looks like the most confident team in the College Football Playoff, discarding Tennessee and top seed Oregon by scoring 83 combined points in two games and winning those matchups by an average of 23 points.

Texas played things closer against Arizona State in the Peach Bowl quarterfinal, getting past the Sun Devils in two overtimes, averaging 36 points per game and allowing just 15 from opponents.

What can we expect as the Buckeyes and Longhorns meet in this postseason matchup?

Let’s take a look at the early predictions for Ohio State vs. Texas in the College Football Playoff Cotton Bowl semifinal game, according to the oddsmakers.

Ohio State vs. Texas picks, odds

So far, the bookies are giving the Buckeyes the benefit of the doubt against the Longhorns.

Ohio State is a 5.5 point favorite against Texas, according to the updated game lines posted to FanDuel Sportsbook for the matchup.

FanDuel lists the total at 53.5 points for the game.

And it set the moneyline odds for Ohio State at -220 and for Texas at +180 to win outright.

Ohio State: -5.5 (-118)
Texas: +5.5 (-104)

Over 53.5 points: -108
Under 53.5 points: -112

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Ohio State vs. Texas trends

Ohio State is 8-6 against the spread (57.1%) overall this season ...

Texas 8-7 (53.3%) ATS in 2024-25 ...

Ohio State is 4-1 (80%) ATS against ranked opponents ...

Texas is 4-4 (50%) ATS against ranked teams ...

Ohio State is 8-6 (57.1%) against the spread as a favorite ...

Texas is 6-6 (50%) ATS after a win this season ...

Ohio State is 1-0 against the spread in neutral site games ...

Texas is 1-2 ATS on neutral ground ...

Ohio State is 2-2 against the spread against non-conference teams ...

Texas is 5-1 (83.3%) ATS against non-conference teams ...

Ohio State is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games ...

Texas is 1-6 straight-up in its last 7 games as the underdog ...

Ohio State is 12-2 straight-up in its last 14 games as the favorite ...

Texas is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games against Big Ten teams ...

The total went over in 4 of Ohio State’s last 5 games against SEC teams ...

Texas is 3-6 in its last 9 games against the spread ...

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Spread consensus picks, score prediction

A large majority of bettors expect the Buckeyes to handle the Longhorns, according to the latest spread consensus picks for the game.

Ohio State is getting 71 percent of bets to cover the spread in a win and advance to the national championship game.

The other 29 percent of wagers project Texas will either win the game outright in an upset, or keep the final margin under six points in a loss.

The game’s implied score suggests a narrow victory for the Buckeyes over the Longhorns.

When taking the point spread and total into consideration, it’s implied that Ohio State will defeat Texas by a projected score of 30 to 24.

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Our early pick: Ohio State -5.5 ... We’ve picked against the Buckeyes straight-up in both their playoff games to no avail, so we’re not making that mistake again. Texas should be the best defense OSU faces, but their offensive inconsistency is a liability Ohio State doesn’t have.

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How to watch the 2024 Cotton Bowl Game

When: Fri., Jan. 10
Where: Arlington, Tex.

Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern
TV: ESPN network

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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