The Ohio State Buckeyes will be looking to extend their straight-up win streak at the Rose Bowl to four games on Saturday when they battle the Utah Utes in this season’s edition of college football’s oldest bowl game as a four-point betting favourite on the college football odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Ohio State tumbled out of College Football Playoff contention with a 42-27 loss to Michigan in the team’s regular season finale, which also marked OSU’s first SU defeat in 10 contests going into Saturday’s matchup in Pasadena, Calif.
In addition to dumping them to No. 6 in the rankings, the Buckeyes’ recent loss to the Wolverines also denied them a shot at winning a fifth straight Big Ten conference title. However, the Buckeyes have gone 6-3 SU over their past nine bowl game appearances, including two CFP national championship game appearances. A victory on Saturday would mark OSU’s ninth win at the Rose Bowl, leaving them trailing only USC in that category.
Listed at No. 11 in the final rankings, the Utes make their first-ever Rose Bowl appearance riding a six-game SU win streak capped by a 38-10 win over Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game. However, in addition to getting blown out 64-6 in their only previous date with the Buckeyes in 1986, the Utes are winless in their past two bowl appearances.
Earlier on Saturday the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will be taking on the Oklahoma State Cowboys at the Fiesta Bowl as 2.5-point chalk at online betting sites. On Saturday night in New Orleans the Ole Miss Rebels battle the Baylor Bears in the Sugar Bowl as 1.5-point favourites.
The Fighting Irish ended the regular season back at No. 5 in the rankings despite riding a dominating seven-game SU win streak and outscoring opponents by a wide 162-23 margin over their final four contests. However, Notre Dame has lost outright in four straight Fiesta Bowl appearances. The Cowboys are coming off a 21-16 loss to Baylor in the Big 12 Championship Game, but enjoy a 4-1 SU and 5-0 against the spread run during bowl season.
SU winners in four straight games to end the regular season, the Rebels have claimed victory in six of their past seven trips to the Sugar Bowl, and are also 8-1 SU in their past nine overall bowl game appearances. The Bears will make their second Sugar Bowl appearance in three years after closing out their campaign with four straight wins, including three outright victories while set as betting underdogs.
