One team will advance to the title game, and one team will go home when the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes and the No. 3 Clemson Tigers collide on Saturday in a College Football Playoff semifinal game in the 2019 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The Buckeyes (13-0) are looking to return to the national title game for the first time since winning the inaugural CFP title in the 2014 season. Meanwhile the Tigers (13-0) are the defending national champions and are aiming for their fourth title game appearance in five seasons. They are 9-1 against the spread in their last 10 bowl games. Kickoff is 8 p.m. ET.
The Tigers are 2.5-point favorites in the latest Clemson vs. Ohio State odds, while the over-under for total points scored is 62. Before making any Ohio State vs. Clemson picks or 2019 Fiesta Bowl predictions, you need to check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
This model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $4,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also went a sizzling 8-2 on all picks against the spread during Championship Week. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now the model has dialed in on College Football Playoff semifinal matchup between Ohio State vs. Clemson. We can tell you it's leaning under, and it also says one side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations. You can head to SportsLine to see the pick. Now, here are the college football odds and trends for Clemson vs. Ohio State:
- Ohio State vs. Clemson spread: Tigers -2.5
- Ohio State vs. Clemson over-under: 62 points
- Ohio State vs. Clemson money line: Tigers -139, Buckeyes +117
- CLEM: Tigers lead the nation in scoring defense (10.6 points per game)
- OSU: Buckeyes lead the country in scoring offense (48.7 points per game)
The model knows that Clemson's Trevor Lawrence is playing his best football of the season. Over the last six games, the sophomore quarterback has completed 75.5 percent of his passes for 1,638 yards and 20 touchdowns and zero interceptions. In the ACC Championship Game against Virginia, Lawrence completed 16 of 22 passes for 302 yards and a career-high-tying four touchdowns.
In addition, the model has factored in that Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields could be less than 100 percent healthy. Fields has been nursing a sprained left knee for multiple games and said earlier this week that the knee is just "80 to 85 percent" healthy. Over the past two games he has rushed 18 times for just 26 yards, far shy of his rushing average of 36.2 yards per game. If he is not a threat running the ball, the Buckeyes will lose a key feature of their offense.
Even so, that does not guarantee the Tigers will cover the Clemson vs. Ohio State spread in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Anchored by elite pass rusher Chase Young (16.5 sacks), the Buckeyes are playing championship-caliber defense. They rank No. 2 in the country in total defense (247.6 yards allowed per game) and third in scoring defense (12.5 points allowed per game). Ohio State also leads the country in tackles for loss (119).
On the other side of the ball, running back J.K. Dobbins has been a force for the Buckeyes. The 5-foot-10, 217-pound junior ranks in the top five in the country in rushing yards per game (140.7), all-purpose yards per game (156.1) and touchdowns (22). He has played his best against top-flight competition, averaging more than 175.0 yards per game against five top-15 defenses.
So who wins the Fiesta Bowl 2019 between Clemson and Ohio State? And which side of the spread hits in more than 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Ohio State vs. Clemson spread to jump on Saturday, all from the advanced model that is up almost $4,000 on its top-rated college football picks.
