The No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) hope to overcome some notable absences as they square off against the ninth-ranked Missouri Tigers (10-2) in the 2023 Cotton Bowl Classic on Friday. Ohio State will have an untested Devin Brown at quarterback as Kyle McCord entered the transfer portal, while top receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. could sit out, though the Buckeyes have not confirmed his status. That could make life easier on Missouri, which ended the regular season with a three-game winning streak but has lost each of its last four bowl appearances. The Tigers also are 1-10-1 all-time against the Buckeyes.
Kickoff at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. The Buckeyes are 5-point favorites in the latest Ohio State vs. Missouri odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 51. Before making any Missouri vs. Ohio State picks, you need to see the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a strong profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. The model enters bowl season a profitable 13-9 on top-rated spread picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Ohio State vs. Missouri and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine to see the model's CFB picks. Here are several college football odds and trends for Missouri vs. Ohio State:
- Ohio State vs. Missouri spread: Buckeyes -5
- Ohio State vs. Missouri over/under: 51 points
- Ohio State vs. Missouri money line: Buckeyes -207, Tigers +170
- OSU: The Buckeyes are 2-9-1 against the spread in their last 12 games as favorites versus AP-ranked opponents
- MIZZ: The Tigers are 5-0 ATS in their last five contests away from home
- Ohio State vs. Missouri picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Ohio State vs. Missouri live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why Ohio State can cover
While they may have difficulty scoring with McCord and possibly Harrison sitting out, the Buckeyes should be as strong as usual on the other side of the football. Ohio State does not expect any defensive players to opt out of Friday's game, and with junior defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau participating in practice, that likely will be the case. Tuimoloau leads the team with four sacks while defensive end Jack Sawyer (3.5) and defensive tackle Tyleik Williams (3), also juniors who plan to be on the field against Missouri, are solid contributors.
Ohio State's ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks is one reason the club is first in the nation against the pass (147.4 yards allowed). Another is a secondary that features junior cornerbacks Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock, who is first on the team with two interceptions -- one of which he returned 93 yards for a touchdown. The Buckeyes are third in the country in total defense (259.9 yards allowed) and second in points permitted as they allow an average of 11 per game and have held opponents under that total on seven occasions. See which team to pick here.
Why Missouri can cover
Ohio State is third in the nation in total defense (259.9 yards allowed), second in points permitted (11.0) and first against the pass (147.4 yards) but ranks 24th versus the run with an average of 112.5 yards allowed. The Tigers are 54th in the country in rushing (169.4 yards) but possess one of the nation's most productive running backs in senior Cody Schrader, who is fourth with 1,489 yards and has reached triple digits in five consecutive games to tie the single-season school record set in 1969 by Joe Moore. Schrader has recorded eight 100-yard performances this year and eclipsed the 200-yard mark in two of his last three outings after setting a career high with 217 in Missouri's 48-14 win at Arkansas in the regular-season finale.
Schrader, who needs 116 rushing yards to break the Tigers' single-season mark set by Tyler Badie two years ago, has had at least one touchdown run in nine straight games after registering just one over his first three contests this year. Dating back to last season, he has rushed for a TD in 13 of his last 15 outings. Meanwhile, sophomore wideout Luther Burden III is 10th in the nation with 1,197 receiving yards, the fourth-most in a season in school history. Burden can take second place on that list with a strong effort on Friday as he needs 14 yards to pass Victor Bailey (1992) and 64 to overtake Jeremy Maclin (2008). See which team to pick here.
How to make Ohio State vs. Missouri picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 58 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Ohio State vs. Missouri, and which side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Missouri vs. Ohio State spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has notched a profit of well over $2,000 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.
