The College Football Playoff semifinals are underway after Notre Dame beat Penn State in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night. The Irish will face the winner of Friday’s Cotton Bowl, which features No. 8 Ohio State (12-2) and No. 5 Texas (13-2). That game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium in Arlington Texas. The Buckeyes are a 5.5-point favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Ohio State-Texas picks: 3 picks for a same-game parlay at the Cotton Bowl
We break down how you can use FanDuel Sportsbook to bet on the College Football Playoff.
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This is a busy week of playoff action with the two CFP semifinals and then three days of the NFL’s Wild Card round. FanDuel Sportsbook is celebrating the five days of playoff action with its Playoff Payoff promotion. Each of the five days, you can place a no-sweat same game parlay. If the SGP does not hit on a given day, you’ll get your loss refunded in the form of a bonus bet.
No-Sweat Token Details
All you have to do is log in to your account, claim your No-Sweat Token, build your 3+ Leg SGP, toggle on your No-Sweat Token, and place your bet. If your bet loses, you will get a refund in Bonus Bets. The SGP must contain at least three legs and have odds of +100 or longer. See full terms at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Point Spread
— Ohio State is currently a 5.5-point favorite over Texas, which marks the fourth time this season Ohio State has been a favorite by under a touchdown.
- Ohio State is 8-6 against the spread this season and 2-0 in the playoffs.
- Texas is 8-7 against the spread this season and 1-1 in the playoffs.
- Ohio State is 2-1 against the spread this season when favored by 5.5 points or lower.
- Per ESPN’s FPI (Football Power Index), Ohio State has a 54% chance of beating Texas.
- Texas leads the all-time series against Ohio State 2-1.
Over/Under
— The over/under is currently at 53.5 points.
Whether the result goes over or under is tricky, as both teams have stellar offenses and defenses alike. Even so, optimal conditions in a domed stadium could wind up turning this into a high-scoring affair based on how both offenses looked in the CFP Quarterfinals.
- Ohio State ranks No. 26 in total offense, No. 1 in total defense, and No. 2 in red zone defense.
- Texas ranks No. 17 in total offense, No. 3 in total defense, and No. 3 in red zone defense.
- Texas scored 39 points in their two-overtime win against Arizona State in the Fiesta Bowl and allowed 31 points.
- Ohio State scored 41 points in their Rose Bowl win over Oregon and allowed 21 points.
First Half Total Points
Ohio State and Texas were sizzling hot in the CFP Quarterfinals in the first half, but will that trend continue at the Cotton Bowl?
— The over/under for Ohio State first-half points is at 14.5 points while Texas is at 11.5.
- Ohio State scored 34 points in the first half against Oregon at the Rose Bowl.
- Texas scored 17 points in the first half against Arizona State at the Fiesta Bowl.
Player Receiving Yards
While Ohio State and Texas both have multiple receiving threats, Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith and Texas receiver Matthew Golden are WR1 for their respective programs. Smith has 70 receptions for 1,224 with 12 receiving touchdowns while Golden has 56 receptions for 936 yards with nine receiving scores.
— The over/under for receiving yards is 84.5 for Smith and 67.5 for Golden.
- Smith’s gone over 84.5 yards eight times this season. Smith had seven receptions for 187 yards with two touchdowns in Ohio State’s Rose Bowl win over Oregon.
- Golden’s gone over 67.5 yards six times this season. Golden had seven receptions for 149 yards with one touchdown in Texas’ Fiesta Bowl win over Arizona State.
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