As the Cotton Bowl pick heats up, Ohio State and Texas square off in the College Football Playoff Semifinal, with a chance to secure a spot in the national championship game on the line—both teams have impressive resumes, making this a must-watch showdown.
Betting Cotton Bowl Pick: Ohio State vs Texas Odds to Win the Match
Cotton Bowl Showdown: A Bettor’s Guide to the Ohio State vs. Texas Matchup
2024 NCAA Division I FBS Football Season | 155th season of college football in the United States
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Betting College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Winning Pick
This semifinal has all the ingredients of a classic showdown, so worth getting behind this game.
Let’s see the details of this matchup.
2025 Cotton Bowl: 8 Ohio State Fighting Irish (12-2) vs 5 Texas Nittany Lions (13-2)
Friday, January 10th at 7:30 pm ET – ESPN | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
ATS Odds: Ohio State -6
SU Odds: Texas +191 / Ohio State -242
Over/Under Odds: 53.5
Writer’s Picks for the Cotton Bowl Game
Odds Breakdown
The Buckeyes enter the game as favorites.
The over/under is set at 53.5 and the Buckeyes are -235 favorites on the moneyline,.
The betting line has Texas’s home-field advantage impacting how close the game remains in the first half.
Ohio State: Momentum and Game Plan
Ohio State has been playing well in the playoffs.
They lost to Michigan in their last regular season game but then beat Tennessee and Oregon.
Quarterback Will Howard runs the offense. Jim Knowles runs the defense. The defense has done well putting pressure on the other team.
Ohio State has been strong at the line of scrimmage.
Against Tennessee and Oregon, their defensive line made 12 sacks.
They want to do the same against Texas, especially since Texas lineman Cam Williams may not play because of a knee injury.
On offense, Ohio State has made changes.
They had trouble running the ball in the regular season, so they now use quick passes to help set up the run.
Will Howard has done well in this system. He spreads the ball to his receivers, including Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka.
This mix of pass and run will be important against Texas.
On defense, Ohio State will try to stop Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers.
Ewers throws well but does not move much outside the pocket.
Texas: Playing for Home State Glory
Texas made the College Football Playoff for the first time this season.
They had a close win over Clemson and needed two overtimes to beat Arizona State.
Now, they play Ohio State, their hardest game so far.
The game is in Arlington, which helps Texas.
They will have many fans there, and they are used to playing in their home state.
But fan support alone won’t be enough to beat Ohio State.
Texas needs a balanced offense.
Running back Quintrevion Wisner handles the run game, and quarterback Quinn Ewers leads the passing game.
The team has had trouble running the ball at times. Against Ohio State, they must mix things up and keep the defense guessing.
On defense, Texas depends on its front seven to slow Ohio State down.
They are good at stopping the run, giving up just over 100 rushing yards per game.
Freshman Colin Simmons leads the team with nine sacks. He will try to put pressure on Will Howard and break up Ohio State’s offense.
To win, Texas must avoid slow starts in the second half.
They have not scored much in the third quarter in recent games, which has let other teams stay close.
That could be a big problem against Ohio State.
Starting fast and maintaining momentum will be critical.
Key Players to Watch
Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State, WR)
Jeremiah Smith has been the top player in the postseason.
The freshman has gained more than 1,200 receiving yards this season and is hard for defenses to stop.
He has become a key target for Will Howard because of his size, speed, and route running.
In the game against Texas, Smith’s skill in running deep routes will help open up plays for Ohio State.
He can also help in the red zone, where he often scores by jumping to catch passes.
Will Howard (Ohio State, QB)
Will Howard’s solid play has helped Ohio State win in the postseason.
He reads defenses well and makes fast choices, which has kept the offense moving.
Against Texas, Howard will need to stay calm and take what the defense allows.
How he leads the team and protects the ball will help decide the result of the game.
Quinn Ewers (Texas, QB)
Quinn Ewers has helped Texas move the ball through the air.
The junior quarterback has passed for more than 3,100 yards this season, finding different receivers.
He made important plays in big games, including the Peach Bowl.
Now, he will go up against a tough Ohio State defense.
For Texas to stay in the game, Ewers needs to protect the ball and throw with accuracy under pressure.
Colin Simmons (Texas, DE)
Freshman defensive end Colin Simmons has played a big role for the Texas defense.
He leads the team with nine sacks and has made it hard for offensive lines to block him all season.
Simmons uses his speed and power to break through and will try to disrupt Will Howard’s timing.
If he can keep putting pressure on Howard, it could help Texas gain control of the game.
He also needs to help stop the run to slow down Ohio State’s offense.
2025 Cotton Bowl Pick & Score Prediction for the Game
Ohio State is a dominant team, but Texas has home-field advantage.
Score Prediction: Ohio State 38, Texas 20
NCAAF Bowl SU Pick: Ohio State -6
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^ Top^ Top6 years ago today that Cotton Bowl was one of the most fun I have ever had at a sporting event. Ags rolled the Sooners 41-13. This gif sums up that game pretty well. pic.twitter.com/xfYzeGo6ft
— Tyler (@thehart_oftx) January 4, 2019
MyBookie offers the current College Football betting lines for the season to win.
Who Will Reign Supreme? 2025 College Football National Championship Odds Revealed!
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Ohio State Buckeyes | -370 |
| Texas Longhorns | +285 |
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Cotton Bowl Betting Odds & Picks: Missouri Vs Ohio State
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Given that so many very good teams are involved in bowl games that are not part of the playoffs, it’s going to be fun to see how things look with a 12-team postseason starting next year. MyBookie Sportsbook 2023/24 Bowls Odds for College Football Game Lines | Missouri Vs Ohio State Cotton Bowl Game 2023
For now, we are going to need to be happy with a few powerhouse teams playing in game that, in the grand scheme of things, don’t really mean that much. The fact of the matter is that barely missing out on the playoffs is a bitter pill to swallow, and it can explain why some of the better teams come out a little flat once bowl season rolls around. It can be too easy for players to simply shut down after realizing that the dream of a National Championship is over. That is going to be something to keep an eye on with this game, with the Ohio State Buckeyes one of the teams that missed out by the slimmest margin. The Buckeyes are favored by 1, with the O/U set at 49.
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: Missouri vs Ohio State
When: Friday, December 29 at 8 PM EST
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington
TV: ESPN
Missouri Tigers
All things considered it was a very good regular season for the Missouri Tigers. They went 10-2, with their losses coming against Georgia and LSU, both of whom were very good teams. The Tigers were certainly a fun team to watch, especially on the offensive side of the football, where they put up some very good numbers. They are probably going to need to score a lot in this one to keep pace with the Buckeyes, which means we could well be looking at a bit of a shootout. In terms of winning, the Tigers have been a good bet in Friday games, going 6-2 SU in their last 8 Friday night appearances. They are also 10-3 SU in their last 12 games against the Big Ten. While they have covered the spread in 5 of their last 6 overall, the Tigers are just 1-8 ATS in the month of December. The OVER has hit in 7 of their last 10 games.
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes came into the season as one of the favorites to head to the playoffs, but it all went wrong for them in the final game of the regular season, as they once again lost to Michigan and saw their biggest rivals head to the postseason for the 3rd straight year. For the Buckeyes, it was essentially playoffs or bust, so you do have to wonder about their mindset ahead of this one. Will they look at this bowl game as a shot at some form of redemption, or will they look at it as a game they’d sooner not be playing in? The Buckeyes have struggled against SEC opposition, going 2-7 SU in their last 9 meetings, but they are a good bet against the spread, going 7-1 in their last 8 Friday night appearances. The UNDER has hit in 7 of their last 9 overall.
Cotton Bowl Score Prediction Missouri Vs Ohio State
While I think the Missouri Tigers will be more up for this game than the Buckeyes, I still think the superior talent of Ohio State will eventually shine through. I am on the Buckeyes to win and cover, plus I also like the OVER.
Missouri Tigers 21, Ohio State Buckeyes 35
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