College Football: 3 Best Bets and Player Props for Tennessee at Ohio State

Among the four games in the first round of the College Football Playoff, the Tennessee Volunteers against the Ohio State Buckeyes seems to be drawing the most hype. There's a reason this game fell into the 8 p.m. ET slot for Saturday. The Shoe will be roaring with 100,000+ fans taking on Saturday's cold weather in the low 20s. Ohio State sports the third-shortest odds to win the national championship (+500), but Tennessee still demands detention after going 10-2 in a loaded SEC.

Even following a bitter 13-10 loss against the Michigan Wolverines, the Buckeyes are widely considered one of college football's most talented teams. That explains OSU being a 7.5-point favorite over the Volunteers. What can we expect from Saturday's primetime matchup?

Using the college football odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, here are the best bets between the No. 9 and 8 seeds.

All college football odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Tennessee at Ohio State Betting Picks

Under 46.5 Points (-110)

There will be NFL talent all over the field on Saturday night, and it's not coming from just Ohio State. According to NFL Mock Draft Data Base's 2025 Consensus Big Board, Tennessee has RB10 for the draft in Dylan Sampson, and edge rusher James Pearce Jr. is regarded as a top-15 prospect while defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott also cracks the top-70 prospects. Of course, the Buckeyes are an embarrassment of riches with nine players in the top-100 prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Simply sporting more NFL talent doesn't mean OSU is bound to win, though. We certainly saw that in its loss against Michigan -- a loss that stings to no end. With that said, it's difficult to ignore some of the Buckeyes' clear issues.

With about 74% of spread bets at FanDuel Sportsbook coming in on the Volunteers, that Ohio State cover is becoming more and more interesting. numberFire's college football game projections have the Scarlet and Grey winning by about 8 points while College Football Nerds' prediction model has OSU by 17!

Going back to those weaknesses we previewed, Tennessee has one of the best defensive front sevens in football, boasting Pro Football Focus' 10th-best pass rushing grade. Ohio State ranks 100th in PFF's pass blocking grade. Following injuries, another offensive line reshuffle is imminent with coach Ryan Day stating they plan to rotate one of the starting guard spots.

While the Buckeyes' loaded receiving corps is probably the biggest advantage in this matchup, it won't matter if Will Howard is consistently under pressure. Adding to the worry, the Vols boast the nation's top defense in EPA allowed per rushing attempt. OSU's run game has been up and down, including 77 rushing yards on 26 attempts (3.0 yards per carry) against Michigan.

Similar worries reside on the other side of the ball, too. UT ranks 74th in pass blocking grade, and the unit gets to face the Buckeyes' defensive line with three players among the top-50 prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft: Tyleik Williams, J.T. Tuimoloau, and Jack Sawyer.

The Volunteers are very reliant on the run, carrying a 60.8% rush-play rate (top 8%). However, Sampson put up only 3.8 yards per carry earlier in the season against the Oklahoma Sooners (fourth in EPA allowed per carry). Ohio State's rush defense is even better, sitting third in EPA allowed per rushing attempt.

When Tennessee has faced top-50 defenses in EPA allowed per play on the road, the offense is putting up 6.3 yards per passing attempt (7.9 on the season). Between road struggles and questionable pass protection, the Vols do not want to rely on the pass. But they could get into that situation against a defense that gives up 2.9 yards per carry (fifth-fewest).

Ultimately, this game features the top two defenses nationally in EPA allowed per play. With each squad in the top five of PPG allowed and yards allowed per play, this one's gearing up for the under.

Tennessee 1st Half Spread +4.5 (-114)

I won't completely write off Ohio State winning this game comfortably. It's still the far more talented team and has a couple of clear advantages, including those shiny receivers. However, don't expect this one to be out of hand early.

The first half spread is -4.5 in favor of the Buckeyes. Ohio State has gotten off to plenty of slow starts this season, including a 14-7 halftime lead against Indiana (final 38-15) and a 10-point deficit in the first quarter against Penn State (20-13 final). It ranks 15th with 18.8 first half PPG and 6th by allowing 7.2 first half PPG. Tennessee holds similar marks, ranked 18th with 18.2 first half PPG and 2nd by surrendering only 6.4 first half PPG.

With that said, this should be a razor-thin margin at halftime. We've laid out why this game is poised for few points. Taking the under alongside a close first half pairs well, especially when both teams will likely coming out running the ball.

If each team is spamming the run game against top-three rush defenses, this clock should quickly bleed to halftime. Save your popcorn for the second half, when each offense could look to open it up a bit.

Emeka Egbuka to Record a 30+ Yard Reception (+230)

Each offensive line could struggle against talented pass rushes, making this matchup even-steven. However, Ohio State's receivers could be the one glaring advantage of this game.

Yes, Tennessee ranks fourth in EPA allowed per drop back while giving up only 6.1 yards per passing attempt (top 11%). However, 8 of the Vols' 12 opponents were outside of the top 50 in EPA per drop back. The Alabama Crimson Tide (10th) was the only top-10 team in EPA per drop back that UT has faced. While Tennessee fared well holding the Crimson Tide to only 5.3 yards per passing attempt, Alabama still does not have the receivers to match OSU's unit.

Considering the coaching staff's refusal to throw the ball against Michigan, common sense tells you the Buckeyes should look to push the ball down field more than usual. If this is the case, watch out. With that said, my favorite prop in this game involves Ohio State's receiving corps.

Among the Buckeyes' top three receivers, Emeka Egbuka leads the group in yards after the catch per reception (6.0). Tennessee's tackling grade isn't anything special, ranked 37th in the category. This defense has missed tackles from time to time, and Egbuka is praised for his ability after the catch.

For example, NFL Draft Buzz labeled Egbuka as a "slippery runner after the catch who sets up blocks and finds cutback lanes in space." This strength is highlighted pretty much across the board as The 33rd Team said he's a "YAC demon with comfort in the middle of the field."

I wouldn't be surprised if Egbuka pops a big one in this game. As our Austin Swaim pointed out in his best player prop bets for the first round, he's averaging 6.7 catches and 6.7 targets per game in ranked matchups this season. He should be able to get the ball, and his average depth of target (aDOT) of 7.8 yards could be a safety outlet for Howard if he's facing pressure from Tennessee's defensive front.

Egbuka has produced at least one 25-yard catch in every ranked matchup this season. Plus, he's generated a 20-yard play in three of the last five contests. Egbuka is -140 to come up with a 20-yard catch. I don't mind this bet, but considering he's +230 for a 30+ yard reception, I'd rather go this route. We are talking about only a few more yards compared to his usual 25-yard catch against ranked opponents.

A good workload should be there on Saturday night, and Tennessee's suspect tackling grade opens up the door for Egbuka's YAC ability to shine.

Check out our latest 2024-25 College Football Playoff printable bracket.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.