Tennessee Volunteers vs Ohio State Buckeyes NCAAF Betting Prediction
PublishedDecember 12, 2024,            Posted By: Maria Uebelhor
Last updated:December 12, 2024 ,

NCAAF Tennessee vs Ohio State Prediction First Round Game

The Tennessee Volunteers (10-2) face off against the Ohio State Buckeyes (10-2) on Saturday, December 21st. This game will be played at Ohio Stadium in Columbus and televised on ABC. Tennessee is coming off a win in their previous game, while Ohio State is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Michigan. Kickoff is set for 8:00 ET.

Tennessee Volunteers vs Ohio State Buckeyes

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Tennessee Offense Breakdown

Tennessee’s offense has been driven by their run game, ranking 8th in the nation with 234.9 rushing yards per game, and they are 5th in rushing attempts, averaging 44.8 per game. Dylan Sampson leads the team with 1,485 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns, averaging 5 yards per carry. Overall, Tennessee is 8th in scoring, with 37.2 points per game, and they have converted 48.1% of their third downs, ranking 14th nationally.

Quarterback Nico Iamaleava has thrown for 2,512 yards, completing 65.7% of his passes, with 19 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 105. Dont’e Thornton Jr. leads the receivers with 647 yards and six touchdowns on 25 catches. Heading into week 11, Tennessee is ranked 29th in our offensive power rankings.

Ohio State Offense Breakdown

Ohio State’s offense ranks 15th in scoring, averaging 35.5 points per game, but we have them 5th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 11. Quarterback Will Howard has thrown for 2,860 yards and 27 touchdowns, with a passer rating of 118 and a 72.3% completion rate.

Ohio State ranks 37th in passing yards per game, averaging 254.3 yards, and 61st in rushing with 170.7 yards per game. Quinshon Judkins leads the ground attack with 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Receiver Jeremiah Smith has 934 yards and 10 touchdowns on 57 catches.

Tennessee Team Defense

Heading into their matchup with Vanderbilt, Tennessee’s defense ranked fourth nationally, allowing just 13.9 points per game. They’ve given up an average of 106 rushing yards per game, which ranks 16th, and 178.7 passing yards per game, ranking 26th. Opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of just 69 against Tennessee, the 12th-lowest in the country, completing 56.3% of their passes.

Against Vanderbilt, Tennessee’s defense allowed 23 points but gave up just 213 total yards, including 109 rushing yards on 30 attempts and 104 passing yards. They also forced an interception while allowing one passing touchdown.

Tennessee Team Defense

Ohio State’s defense has been a standout unit this season, leading the nation by allowing just 10.9 points per game. They also rank fifth in passing yards allowed, giving up only 144.2 yards per game, and 13th in rushing yards, allowing 101.3 yards per contest.

In their recent game against Michigan, Ohio State’s defense allowed just 13 points, giving up 235 total yards. They limited Michigan to 62 passing yards and forced two interceptions, but still came up short in a 13-10 loss.

Tennessee vs Ohio State Trends

  • Across their last five road contests, Tennessee has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 3-2, while averaging 28 points per game.
  • In their last three games at home, the Ohio State Buckeyes have a straight up record of 2-1 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team averaged 27 points per game in this stretch.
  • Looking back on the team’s last five games as the underdog, the Tennessee Volunteers have a straight up record of 2-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 2-3.
  • Ohio State has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 4-1 SU and 4-1 ATS in their last five games.

Volunteers vs Buckeyes Prediction

The over/under line for this Tennessee vs. Ohio State matchup is set at 47 points, and with our projected score of 34-21 in favor of Tennessee, we see this game going over the total points line.

As for the point spread, we like Tennessee to cover as +7.5 point road underdogs, and we even see them winning the game outright. Our projections have Tennessee winning 34-21, making them a strong bet to cover and win straight-up.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.