Washington vs. Ohio State Rose Bowl Pick
No. 9 Washington Huskies (10-3 SU, 4-9 ATS) vs. No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1 SU, 6-7 ATS)
Rose Bowl Preview
Date/Time: Tuesday January 1st, 2019. 5:00PM (EST)
Where: Rose Bowl Pasadena, C.A.
TV: ESPN
Point Spread:WASH +6.5/OSU -6.5
Over/Under Total: 58
Despite going 12-1 SU along with a dominating win over Michigan and a Big Ten Championship, the no. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes did not get enough votes for a College Football Playoffs appearance in Urban Meyer’s farewell tour. Now the Buckeyes will resort to Pasadena for a ticket to the prestigious Rose Bowl against the no. 9 Washington Huskies. The Buckeyes will be 6.5 point favorites over the 10-3 SU Huskies for a chance to send Meyer out as a winner. The Buckeyes have won 4 of their last 5 postseason games and will present a difficult match-up for the Huskies on New Year’s Day.
How good is the Washington defense?
One of the main questions I have entering this game is just how good is this Washington defense? Statistically, the Huskies have been terrific allowing just 15.5 points per game (5th in the FBS) and just 301 total yards per game (12th in FBS). Usually, season-ending stats are pretty convincing as the strength of a defense. However, I cannot ignore the fact that the Pac-12 was really weak this year especially on the offensive side of the football. The Pac-12 had just 2 offenses in the top 25 in scoring and just 3 in the top 50 offenses in the country this year. Now make no mistake about it, this Washington defense is rock solid especially against the run. However, Ohio State presents one of the most balanced and difficult scoring offenses in college football that promises to provide an extremely difficult challenge to this Huskies defense.
Buckeyes offense looking to stay hot in Rose Bowl
In Ohio State’s final 3 games this year, they hung 52 points in a close shootout win against Maryland, then dominated No. 4 Michigan in a 62-39 thumping, and capped off the season with a 45-24 victory over Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship. Needless to say, the Buckeyes offense has been red-hot throughout the final stretch of the season. The Buckeyes have maintained a balanced attack with the help of running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber who have combined for nearly 1,900 yards with 14 touchdowns. Meanwhile, quarterback Dwayne Haskins has been amazing completing 70% passing for 4,580 yards with 47 touchdowns and just 8 picks.
The task for Ohio State in this Rose Bowl match-up will be primarily to establish the run against this tough Cougars defense. If the Buckeyes can create some running room on the ground, it should open things up for Haskins to stay hot in the passing game. If that happens, it will be tough for Washington to keep pace with this explosive offense. For as strong as the Huskies defense has been this year, the offense has averaged just 26 points per game good enough for 82nd in the FBS. Therefore if the Buckeyes can keep the momentum going and put up another significant number on the scoreboard, it will raise the likelihood of the Buckeyes covering the spread.
Washington RB Myles Gaskins vs. Buckeyes defense
Despite the seemingly tough match-up for Washington, there is one bright spot that offers some hope. Senior running back Myles Gaskins has racked up 1,147 yards with 10 touchdowns on the season behind a promising Cougars ground attack. Gaskins racked up 510 yards with 5 touchdowns in the final 4 games this season and now gets the opportunity to take aim at a poorish Buckeyes run defense. Ohio State has relinquished 160 yards per game on the ground this year which is one of the worst marks ever under Head Coach Urban Meyer. This is a defense that gave up 298 rushing yards to Maryland running backup running back Anthony McFarland and has struggled tremendously against explosive running backs. Therefore if Washington is going to find a way to stay in this game, Myles Gaskins needs a big performance.
2019 Rose Bowl Prediction ATS
Jay’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: I like the situational aspect of Ohio State sending Meyer out with a big victory, and I also love the match-up on the field. Buckeyes offense remains hot and wins convincingly! Take Ohio State -6.5
Best Sportsbooks for Parlays
| 2 Team Parlay | 3 Team Parlay | 4 Team Parlay | |
|---|---|---|---|
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2.74 to 1 | 6.24 to 1 | 13 to 1 |
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2.64 to 1 | 6 to 1 | 12.3 to 1 |
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2.64 to 1 | 6 to 1 | 12 to 1 |