Published Dec 26, 10:57am ET by
Gabriel Kozlow - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Dec 26, 10:57am ET
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Updated Dec 26, 4:21pm ET
The Cotton Bowl in Arlington hosts the Miami Hurricanes and the Ohio State Buckeyes for a CFP Quarterfinal matchup. The Buckeyes are heavily favored in this game; however, Miami is well-equipped to pull off the upset and move on to the CFP semifinals.
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| OHIO STATE BUCKEYES | -355 |
| MIAMI HURRICANES | +280 |
The Miami Hurricanes enter this game as the 10th seed with an outstanding 11–2 record and their first-ever CFP win. Miami brings a tough squad for any opponent, combining a balanced offense with the best scoring defense in the nation. They’ll need all the help they can get against the defending champs, the Buckeyes.
They’ll be relying heavily on Carson Beck, their star QB, as he has already surpassed 3,000 passing yards with 26 touchdowns this season. He’ll be looking to connect with Malachi Toney, their top receiver, who posted 992 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns on 89 catches.
Ohio State will be looking to advance through the playoffs with one clear goal in mind. Their season’s success took a slight hit with their recent loss to Indiana, but they’ll be aiming to redeem themselves as they move forward in the postseason. They come into this game with a 12–1 record and are ranked #2 in the nation.
Their defense has been widely viewed as one of the best units in years. They’ll still need some offensive firepower, so they’ll be counting on Julian Sayin, one of the top-rated passers in the country, to deliver through the air.
The Buckeyes and Hurricanes should deliver an exciting game on both sides of the ball. So, whoever brings the more efficient defense will likely take the victory home. Ohio State is favored by -9.5 on the spread and -355 on the moneyline. The over/under is a low 42.5.
This may not be the popular pick, but we feel this will be a close game in the end. For this reason, we like Miami +9.5 for this matchup.
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Pick
Miami +9.5
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