Following a rare home loss, the ninth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes will attempt to bounce back Saturday when they host the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in a non-conference matchup. The Buckeyes (1-1) were among the favorites to compete for the national title this year, but saw those hopes dealt a blow in the form of a 35-28 home loss last week. Their last loss on their home turf came in Week 2 of the 2017 against Baker Mayfield the Oklahoma Sooners. Tulsa (0-2) led Oklahoma State entering the fourth quarter last week, but the Cowboys rallied for a 28-23 victory.
Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET from Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes are 24.5-point favorites and the over-under for total points scored is 61 in the latest Ohio State vs. Tulsa odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Before locking in your Tulsa vs. Ohio State picks, make sure you check out the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of over $3,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Week 3 of the 2021 season on a 67-50 run on all top-rated college football picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Ohio State vs. Tulsa. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college football odds and trends for Tulsa vs. Ohio State:
- Tulsa vs. Ohio State point spread: Ohio State -24.5
- Tulsa vs. Ohio State over-under points scored: 61
- Tulsa vs. Ohio State money line: Ohio State -4500, Tulsa +1500
- TUL: The Golden Hurricane are 5-1 against the spread in their last six games as an underdog
- OSU: The Buckeyes have covered five of their last six against opponents with losing records
Featured Game | Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Why Ohio State can cover
History suggests Tulsa is in a tenuous position, facing an Ohio State team that will be hungry to erase the memory of last week’s loss. Following the 2017 home defeat against Oklahoma, the Buckeyes clobbered Army 38-7 the following week. This started a six-game win streak with the average margin of victory coming by 35.1 points. The only team to keep the margin within four touchdowns was Penn State, which fell 39-38.
Offense shouldn’t be a problem for the Buckeyes, who rolled up 612 total yards in the loss to Oregon. A turnover on a potential game-tying drive sealed the upset for the Ducks, who rushed for 269 yards to neutralize the time of possession battle and limit possessions. Tulsa ran for 123 yards on 39 carries against Oklahoma State for an average of 3.2 yards per rush. The Golden Hurricane have shown balance on offense but lack explosive playmakers and have totaled just 40 points in their first two games.
Why Tulsa can cover
Under coach Philip Montgomery, the Golden Hurricane have developed a reputation as an often-overlooked underdog. Last year, they similarly came up short of an upset bid against Oklahoma State but rebounded to make an unlikely run to the AAC title game that included numerous upsets. Two weeks later, Tulsa stunned No. 11-ranked Central Florida on the road and followed that effort with a 28-24 upset of No. 19-ranked SMU in November. The Cincinnati Bearcats needed a field goal at the horn to prevail 27-24 in the AAC title game.
The Golden Hurricane returned numerous experienced starters from that club, including most of an offensive line that garnered numerous all-conference honors last season.
How to make Tulsa vs. Ohio State picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 52 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Ohio State vs. Tulsa? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college football picks, and find out.
