Ohio State vs Oregon: Our 3 Best Rose Bowl Player Prop Picks

Three playoff games are set to kick off on New Years Day, starting with Texas and Arizona State in the Peach Bowl, followed by Ohio State and Oregon, the matchup we’re focusing on here.

Ohio State is favored by 2.5 points, but this game feels like a pick-em at this point. Either team could run away with it, or, this could be a close matchup throughout, as the odds suggest. Either way, with an over/under set at 55.5 points, this could be a pretty high-scoring game, which could be fun to watch no matter who wins!

We put our favorite player props together ahead of this year's Rose Bowl showdown, all of which can be found on Underdog.

Dillon Gabriel OVER 248.5 Passing Yards

If you only look at certain metrics, it might seem like the under on Dillon Gabriel’s passing numbers is the right play. After all, Ohio State allowed the fewest passing yards per game in the nation this year, surrendering just 141.2 yards per game. However, Gabriel was fantastic against the Buckeyes earlier this year, throwing for 341 yards and two touchdowns in a 32-31 victory. He might not get to 300+ in this playoff game, but look for Gabriel to do enough to achieve at least 249 passing yards, hitting the over on his yardage prop.

Will Howard OVER 247.5 Passing Yards

While we’re not entirely basing our analysis on the last time these two teams faced off, that game is a good way for us to analyze how they could match up. Will Howard, for instance, didn’t have that many boom games during the regular season, but he popped for 326 yards against Oregon, his biggest game of the season by far. Howard seems to like what he sees against this team, so we’re also going to take the over on his passing yardage prop, hoping this is a shootout!

Jeremiah Smith OVER 73.5 Receiving Yards

Jeremiah Smith is a beast, simply put. He’s Ohio State’s primary receiver, an impressive feat given he’s a freshman. Smith has four games on the season with 100+ yards, including a 100-yard performance against Oregon and a 103-yard game against Tennessee on December 21st. His chemistry with Howard is undeniable, and in this must-win game, look for OSU to turn to their freshman to come up with some big plays, logging at least 74 receiving yards.