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Fiesta Bowl Opens as Pick Game Between Ohio State & Clemson

Brady Trettenero

by Brady Trettenero in College Football

Updated Jan 6, 2023 · 3:19 AM PST

2019 Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl opened as a pick game between No. 3 Clemson and No. 2 Ohio State, but the line has since moved in the Tigers' favor. Photo by Matthew Blouir (Wikimedia Commons) [CC License].
  • No. 3 Clemson is a short favorite in the Fiesta Bowl versus No. 2 Ohio State after the lined opened as a pick game
  • Clemson dominated in the ACC Title game, while Ohio State needed a comeback to win the Big Ten Championship
  • Read below for our prediction on how the point spread will move leading up to kickoff

The Fiesta Bowl between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Clemson in Glendale, Arizona on Dec. 28 opened as a pick game, but the line has since moved in the Tigers’ favor.

Both teams are a perfect 13-0 this season, but Clemson has a slight edge in the  National Championship Odds.

The Tigers looked more dominant in their respective title game, but Ohio State ranks first in all of college football when it comes to strength of schedule.

How will this line shift heading into the game?

Clemson vs Ohio State Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
No. 3 Clemson Tigers -2.0 (-110) -120 Over 63.5 (-110)
No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes +2.0 (-110) +100 Under 63.5 (-110)

Odds taken Dec. 8 

Two Evenly Matched Teams

The Buckeyes are believed to have the most complete team in the country, ranking second in total defense and fifth in total offense. They have two very talented threats on offense in QB Justin Fields and RB J.K. Dobbins, while DE Chase Young is arguably the best defensive player in college football.

Clemson also has a very complete team, ranking first in the country in total defense and third in total offense. QB Trevor Lawrence is playing his best football of the season and the Tigers have looked unbeatable since narrowly avoiding an upset loss to UNC on Sept. 28.

Clemson Shines in ACC Title Game

Clemson won their fifth straight Atlantic Coast Conference title when they defeated No. 22 Virginia 62-17 on Saturday. Lawrence set an ACC Title game record with four touchdown passes, including three to WR Tee Higgins, while RB Travis Etienne rushed for 114 yards on the ground.

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Clemson was favored by 29.5 points by game time and still easily covered the spread. The Tigers have been cover machines since that tight win over the Tar Heels, covering in all but one of their last eight games.

Clemson has made four straight CFP appearances and will benefit from the experience of coach Dabo Swinney. They haven’t faced as tough a schedule as Ohio State this season though, ranking 31st in CFB in terms of strength of schedule.

Buckeyes Rally Past Wisconsin in Big Ten Title Game

Ohio State was receiving an overwhelming 90% of the betting handle in their Big Ten Title game against Wisconsin on Saturday, but they gave bettors a scare in a 34-21 victory. The Buckeyes were down 21-7 at the half and scored 27 unanswered points in the second half to win their third straight Big Ten Title.

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Ohio State has beaten three straight top-10 teams (Penn State, Michigan, Wisconsin) all by double digits, but they’ve only covered the spread once in their last four games.  The Buckeyes lost their top spot in the CFP rankings to LSU, likely due to their uneven first half against Wisconsin and failing to cover the -16.5 spread.

Head-to-Head History

Clemson and Ohio State have played each other twice in the last 10 years. The Tigers won both meetings, beating the Buckeyes 31-0 in the Fiesta Bowl in 2016 and winning the 2014 Discover Orange Bowl by a 40-35 score.

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The Buckeyes entered the 2016 Fiesta Bowl averaging 258 yards rushing per game, but they finished with just 88 against Clemson. The Tigers were the higher ranked team when these two teams met last, but those seeds are reversed for the 2019 showdown.

Betting Advice

These are two very evenly matched teams, so it’s no surprise that the point spread is very close in the College Football odds.

Considering Ohio State stumbled in the first half against Wisconsin, while Clemson blew out Virginia, I expect early bettors to hammer the Tigers. Based on their playoff experience and dominance over the last eight games, Clemson could very well be favored by a TD come game time.

Get on Clemson now if you like the Tigers, but wait for the spread to shift further in Clemson’s favor if you’re still confident the Buckeyes have what it takes to get the job done.

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