If Ohio State Beats Georgia: Bookmaker Predicts Buckeyes’ Championship Odds

What if the Ohio State-Georgia game on Saturday lasts more than four hours?

What if underdog Ohio State upsets No. 1-ranked Georgia in that NCAA football semifinal matchup and advances to the Jan. 9 national title game against the Michigan-TCU winner?

The answer: Ohioans soon would get to bet legally on the Buckeyes.

Sports Betting Starts Sunday in Ohio

Legal sports betting in Ohio starts Sunday when the clock strikes midnight at the start of the new year. 

Betting will take place at brick-and-mortar sportsbooks, at kiosks in bars, restaurants and grocery stores, and on computers and mobile apps. Here is the approved list of Ohio betting sites.

The Ohio State-Georgia game starts Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, four hours before betting is legal in Ohio.

But an extra-long game, or an Ohio State victory, would give bettors in the Buckeye State a chance to wager on the Scarlet and Gray this January.

Gambling.com asked bookmaker Casey Lewless to anticipate what the betting odds might be if Ohio State advances. 

Lewless is a veteran Las Vegas oddsmaker who manages Penn Entertainment’s sportsbooks at the Margaritaville and Boomtown casinos in Bossier City, Louisiana.   

Ohio State’s Odds In Possible Title Game

If TCU upsets favored Michigan, Lewless said he expects the betting line in an Ohio State-TCU game to be Buckeyes -11.5, with an Over-Under of about 68 combined points.

The odds would be tighter in a rematch between Michigan and Ohio State, two Big 10 schools with one of the most storied and intense rivalries in college athletics. Michigan beat Ohio State, 45-23, on the Buckeyes’ home field in November.

A national title showdown could be a fight to the finish

If Michigan plays Ohio State for the championship, Lewless said he expects Ohio State to enter the game as a -2.5-point underdog, with an Over-Under of about 53 combined points.

Buckeyes Championship Prop Bets

Lewless also predicted what the Ohio State prop bets would be in a title game. 

Here are his projections for Ohio State players:

• Passing yards for C.J. Stroud: Over-Under  278.5 Yards
• Rushing yards for Miyan Williams: Over-Under  74.5 yards
• Receiving Yards for Marvin Harrison Jr.: Over-Under  96.5 yards
• Receiving yards for Emeka Egbuka: Over-Under  86.5 yards

Two Ohio State stars aren’t playing in the Georgia game on Saturday and wouldn’t suit up if the Buckeyes compete for the championship.

“TreVeyon Henderson at running back has been ruled out for the rest of the season,” Lewless said, “and wide receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba has basically mailed it in and will not play anymore as he prepares for the NFL draft."

In an Ohio State title game, Lewless anticipates the prop bets for the Buckeyes’ defense would include the following:

• Sacks by Ohio State: Over-Under 2.5
• Interceptions by Ohio State: Over-Under 1.5
• Recovered fumbles by Ohio State: Over-Under .5

If the Ohio State-Georgia game on Saturday stretches past midnight and into the start of the new year, the Buckeyes’ faithful “will fall in love” with the ability to make live bets while the game is in progress, Lewless said.

That will especially be true of bettors using mobile apps, he said, adding that bettors age 35 and younger are noticeably fond of in-game wagering.

“The old brick-and-mortar way of purchasing your (betting) ticket and waiting three and a half hours is dying out,” Lewless said.

CFP National Championship Matchups

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl

• Big 10's Michigan Wolverines vs. Big 12's TCU Horned Frogs (+7.5)
• State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
• Saturday, 4 p.m. ET

Chick-fil-A Bowl

• SEC's Georgia Bulldogs vs. Big 10's Ohio State Buckeyes (+6.5)
• Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
• Saturday, 8 p.m. ET

CFP National Championship

• Michigan-TCU winner vs. Georgia-Ohio State winner
• SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
• Jan. 9, 7:30 p.m. ET