RANT SPORTS– ROSE BOWL QUARTERFINAL: OHIO STATE VS. OREGON
On January 1st at 5 PM EDT, we have a College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup between the two highest power-rated teams in the country. The first thing that stands out is that Ohio State is favored by 2.5 points over undefeated Oregon.
Let’s take a deep dive into this showdown and analyze how these two giants match up.
This is a rematch of the thrilling game in Eugene back in mid-October, where Oregon held on for a narrow 32-31 victory. That game was as close as it gets. Oregon held a slight edge in total yards, 496-467. The Buckeyes had two turnovers compared to the Ducks, who had none.
What really stood out was a controversial 3rd-and-25 play for Ohio State at the Oregon 43-yard line with 10 seconds left. Oregon purposefully lined up 12 players on defense to force an incompletion, eating up six seconds in exchange for only a five-yard penalty. This clever strategy secured the Ducks’ win.
However, the NCAA implemented an in-season rule change after this game. Now, offenses can reset the clock if the defense is caught with 12 players on the field at the snap—unless a defender is actively attempting to leave the field.
WHERE IS THE VALUE?
When breaking down this College Football Playoff game, one thing becomes clear: there’s no obvious betting value here. Emotional bettors might place wagers, but with teams this elite, we must split hairs to find edges.
In Eugene, Oregon’s team speed on offense was the most glaring advantage. Their ultra-fast offense gave the Buckeyes’ solid defense fits all day. With Dillon Gabriel at quarterback, no one has managed to shut Oregon down all season. They will likely be able to move the ball effectively in this neutral-site setting.
Oregon’s defense, however, is a different story. Season-long stats might paint them as solid, but in three key matchups against strong offenses, the Ducks allowed 31+ points each time. Boise State put up 34 points, with Ashton Jeanty rushing for 192 yards. Ohio State tallied 31 points on 467 yards, and in their most recent game, Penn State racked up 37 points and 523 yards.
OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes, on the other hand, boast a defense that has been dominant. They’ve allowed fewer than 10 points six times this season and held 12 of their 13 opponents to 17 points or fewer. The lone exception? Oregon, who put up 32. The Buckeyes shut down Penn State on the road (13 points), Indiana (15 points), and Tennessee (17 points) in the first round. Both Penn State and Tennessee are strong offensive units, making these performances even more impressive.
Offensively, Ohio State has scored 31+ points in 10 of 13 games. However, they’ve been slowed down against tougher opponents, such as Michigan (a home loss) and Penn State (a 20-point effort in a win). The Buckeyes rebounded from their Michigan loss with a dominant 42-17 victory over Tennessee, jumping out to a 21-0 first-quarter lead and amassing 473 yards. What’s more, Ohio State excelled despite Tennessee committing zero turnovers.
WHAT HAPPENS?
How do we separate these teams to make a prediction for the most anticipated game of the College Football Playoff quarterfinals? Ohio State enters as a 2.5-point favorite, with the total set at 54.
The Buckeyes’ defense is clearly superior to Oregon’s. Additionally, having already faced the Ducks’ speed, Ohio State won’t be as shocked by their pace this time around. That said, Oregon’s offense has been unstoppable all season.
The total feels a little low. This game looks like a toss-up, so taking Oregon at +110 on the moneyline offers better value than the spread.
Ohio State QB WIll Howard transferred from Kansas State and I have heard so often all year from KSU fans on how he will not show out in the big game. I have to favor Dillon Gabriel over Will Howard.
Given these factors, Oregon at plus money in a coin-flip game feels like the slightest edge.
FILE – Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) waves after the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. Kelce will bring his highly successful music festival called Kelce Jam back to Kansas City. The second annual one-day event held on May 18 will be hosted by the superstar tight end of the Chiefs and headlined by Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Diplo and local legend Tech N9ne. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)
RANT SPORTS – As Super Bowl LIX Beckons, Football Fans Gravitate to Key Stats and Storylines
On February 9, 2025, the NFC and AFC Conference Champions will meet at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, for Super Bowl LIX. Football fans have been piling into the action all season to make their picks and predictions for the winner.
As Super Bowl Sunday beckons, there will be a tsunami of interest in the many different forms of football betting. Last year, the Super Bowl set records for American wagering, with some $23 billion bet. This year, seeing the popularity of the big game, platforms are going all out to appeal to this mass of betting interest.
So, there are plenty of offers bouncing around and unique ways to bet on the outcomes of Super Bowl LIX. Keep reading to explore these novel options and discover some stats to keep in mind for the potential Super Bowl contenders this year.
A Diverse Landscape for Super Bowl Fans
Every year, betting lines light up with a whole range of quirky selections. For the Super Bowl, prop markets are always a point of interest – and not just for the player lines. The length of the national anthem, style of the halftime performer’s attire, and the color of the winning team’s Gatorade douse are all in the odds.
In daily fantasy sports betting, the lines can also see a bit more variation. With some platforms, you’ll be able to bundle in these once-a-year kind of props. Many will also offer boosts on certain players hitting or missing their under-over lines. Others are adapting the formula entirely for the big game.
At Sleeper, the emphasis is on collaborating with your squad to make top fantasy picks. You’ll all get to select the DFS player lines that you think will happen, bundle them into a picks list, and watch the stats move in real time. With the Super Bowl fast approaching, savvy DFS teams will be claiming a Sleeper promo for NFL betting like this.
With the offer, each player will get a $55 bonus cash offer after playing $5. So, naturally, many teams will open an account, make the $10 deposit, play $5 on an upcoming game of the NFL, NBA, or anything else, and then get their 11 $5 bonus wagers to use on the big game.
What to Keep in Mind for the Super Bowl
On the NFC side, coming into the Conference Championships, Jayden Daniels absolutely had the upper hand on the Eagles’ QB, who’d suffered a concussion and then a leg injury. However, the Philadelphia defense ranked as the best in the NFL by quite some margin, only allowing 278.4 yards on average. It was Philadelphia that romped to an easy 55-23 victory.
Over in AFC territory, the Super Bowl machine that are the Kansas City Chiefs might have a shot at history with the unheard-of three-peat, after their 32-29 win over the Bills. There’s also Travis Kelce’s shot at unseating one of Jerry Rice’s long-standing records. With just three receptions in the big game, Kelce would overtake Rice’s haul of 33 takes at the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl LIX promises to be a fascinating game, with a second matchup of these two teams in three years. That contest came down to the final seconds, but who will win this one?
The bigger question here is, where will fans be placing their bets for the colossal event?
William Byron (24) and Kyle Busch (18) race into turn one during the NASCAR Cup series auto race in Richmond, Va., Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
RANT SPORTS – NASCAR likes to open with a short track exhibition
A week before heading to Daytona for the 2025 NASCAR season, they will kick off the year with an exhibition race on Saturday night under the lights. The event, known as The Cookout will take place at Bowman Gray Stadium, a NASCAR-sanctioned quarter-mile asphalt flat oval short track and a historic football stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The race, also known as The Clash, will mark the debut for several new drivers. Two of the top young talents making their NASCAR Cup Series debuts are Tim Brown for Rick Racing and Burt Myers for Team Amerivet.
This race also features the Front Row Motorsports debut for Noah Gragson and the return of Zane Smith that team. Additionally, Todd Gilliland will be driving the flagship No. 38 after three seasons in the No. 34. Furthermore, Josh Berry iin the iconic Wood Brothers No. 21 Ford.
Some familiar names with new and full season rides
AJ Allmendinger has returned to Kaulig Racing full-time, while Riley Herbst has joined 23XI Racing. Cole Custer is back now full time at the Haas Factory Team. Cody Ware is also time in the family-owned No. 51.
Ryan Preece is debuting for RFK Racing and Michael McDowell has moved to Spire Motorsports. Shane Van Gisbergen is racing full-time in Cup for Trackhouse Racing
Here is the full list of cars the teams
1 | Ross Chastain | Phil Surgen | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet
2 | Austin Cindric | Brian Wilson | Team Penske | Ford
3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Boswell | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet
4 | Noah Gragson | Drew Blickensderfer | Front Row Motorsports | Ford
24 | William Byron | Rudy Fugle | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet
34 | Todd Gilliland | Chris Lawson | Front Row Motorsports | Ford
35 | Riley Herbst | Davin Restivo | 23XI Racing | Toyota
38 | Zane Smith | Ryan Bergentry | Front Row Motorsports | Ford
41 | Cole Custer | Aaron Kramer | Haas Factory Team | Ford
42| John Hunter Nemechek | Travis Mack | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota
43| Erik Jones | Ben Beshore | Legacy Motor Club | Toyot
45 | Tyler Reddick | Billy Scott | 23XI Racing | Toyota
47| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Mike Kelley | HYAK Racing | Ford
48| Alex Bowman | Blake Harris | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet
50 | Burt Myers | Tony Eury Jr. | Team Amerivet | Chevrolet
51 | Justin Haley | Billy Plourde |Rick Ware Racing | Ford
54 | Ty Gibbs | Tyler Allen | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota
60 | Ryan Preece | Derrick Finley | RFK Racing | Ford
66 | Garrett Smithley | Carl Long | Garage 66 | Ford
71 | Michael McDowell | Travis Peterson | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet
77 | Carson Hocevar | Luke Lambert | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet
88 | Shane Van Gisbergen | Stephen Doran | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet
99 | Daniel Suarez | Matt Swiderski | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet
Where to watch and listen to the race
Practice and qualifying is set for 6:10 on FS1 and heat races are set for 8:30 on FS1. The last chance race is set for 6 p.m. on Sunday on FOX and the main event is scheduled for 8 on FOX.
