It's a battle of Top 15 teams when the 15th-ranked TCU Horned Frogs clash with the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex. While Ohio State walloped Rutgers last week, 52-3, on its way to its 900th victory in school history, sloppy TCU found itself in an early 9-0 hole at SMU before righting the ship for a 42-12 win. Offensively, the Buckeyes and Horned Frogs are similar. They both boast dynamic sophomore quarterbacks who are capable of big plays through the air and on the ground. The Buckeyes are 13.5-points favorites, while the Over-Under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, has increased from 56.5 to 58.5 in the latest Ohio State vs. TCU Odds. Before you make any Ohio State vs. TCU picks, you need to hear what SportsLine data scientist Stephen Oh has to say.
Oh, the renowned co-founder of AccuScore, specializes in sports simulations, projections and advanced statistical analysis.
Armed with this trusty projection model as a guide, Oh is a perfect 6-0 in his previous six selections involving the Buckeyes. Two weeks ago, he confidently backed Ohio State, a 38.5-point home favorite, against the Beavers. The result was a 46-point Ohio State win, allowing Oh to cash with ease. Now, Oh has scrutinized Ohio State vs. TCU from every possible angle to reveal a strong point-spread pick that he's sharing only over at SportsLine.
Running the Buckeyes offense is quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Against Rutgers, he turned in a quietly efficient performance, throwing for 233 yards and four scores while also picking up another touchdown rushing amid his 95 yards. J.K.Dobbins, the scintillating sophomore running back who racked up over 1,400 rushing yards last season, gained 73 more in limited action in the Scarlet Knights game. Mike Weber, the junior back who had eight carries for 31 yards last week, is pushing 2,000 for his career.
Just because Ohio State has a prolific offense doesn't mean it'll cover a nearly two-touchdown spread on Saturday. TCU boasts a high-powered rushing attack. Against SMU, the team compiled 247 yards and netted 5.9 per carry. Oh knows they will need another strong ground attack to chew up clock.
For his career, TCU junior running back Darius Anderson has more than 1,100 rushing yards and nine touchdowns -- including eight in 2017. Sewo Olonilua and Emari Demercado should also get plenty of snaps. Expect the Buckeyes to keep a sharp eye on dynamic wideout KaVontae Turpin. Against SMU, he took a punt return to the house from 78 yards out and snared a 42-yard scoring grab in the fourth quarter.
We can tell you Oh is leaning toward the Under, but he has uncovered a critical X-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-back. He's only sharing it over at SportsLine.
So which side of the spread should you back for Ohio State vs. TCU, and which critical X-factor determines the outcome? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to be all over, all from the expert who's a perfect 6-0 in his last six selections involving the Buckeyes.
