Do you trust Mario Cristobal and his Hurricanes to cover a two-score spread against the defending national champions?
That is the question as the College Football Playoff quarterfinals open tonight in the Cotton Bowl with Miami a 9.5-point underdog vs. Ohio State (7:30 ET).
In his game preview, Zach Cohen sums up a prevailing sentiment among VSiN’s experts:
It’s rare that I completely sit out a big game, but this is a tough one to call. When looking at the numbers and the talent on these rosters, it feels like this line is a little disrespectful to the Hurricanes. However, Cristobal’s history as a bad decision-maker might make his team worthy of that disrespect. Meanwhile, Ryan Day has been pretty damn good in big games — outside of the ones against Michigan.
👉 More from Zach, including his pick.
Let’s see what our other guys had to say:
Matt Youmans: Can Carson Beck move the offense through the air? Beck and coach Mario Cristobal inspire little faith, yet Miami is strong enough defensively to threaten to pull the upset in a low-scoring game.
Dave Tuley: I like Miami QB Carson Beck’s big-game experience from playing at Georgia, plus multi-purpose freshman Malachi Toney should benefit from his first playoff game, in which he bounced back from a fumble to score the winning TD.
Steve Makinen: My initial reaction when I saw the line open for the Miami-Ohio State quarterfinal game was that it seemed like a lot of points to lay against a defense as capable as Miami’s. However, as I look at the game closer, I see where it came from.
I took a peek at the Circa Friday Football Invitational page to see how contestants played this game:
Scott Pritchard: Miami FL (+9.5)
Chris Fallica: Miami FL (+9.5)
Chris Macero: Miami FL (+9.5)
Jason Jarvis: Ohio ST (-9.5) and UNDER (42.5)
Edwin Meyer / Carl Sack: UNDER (42.5)
If you are ready to look ahead to the other quarterfinals on New Year’s Day, Zach and Adam Burke have posted previews:
>Orange: Oregon vs. Texas Tech, Noon ET
>Rose: Alabama vs. Indiana, 4 ET
>Sugar: Ole Miss vs. Georgia, 8 ET
Youmans joined Tim Murray on the VSiN College Football Betting Podcast to go through their plays for the CFP.
And, of course, we still have some pre-Cotton bowl games today:
>ReliaQuest: Iowa vs. Vanderbilt, Noon ET
>Sun: Arizona State vs. Duke, 2 p.m. ET
>Citrus: Michigan vs. Texas, 3 p.m. ET
>Las Vegas: Nebraska vs. Utah, 3:30 p.m. ET
More bowl resources
VSiN Pro subscribers have access to the CFB Picks page.
Everything else we do during bowl season is posted here.
And on the seventh day, they rested
NFL Week 18 has a reputation for being one of the toughest for handicappers because teams are shelving their starters, either because they are eliminated from contention or saving players for the playoffs.
But Steve Makinen has studied final games in which starters were pulled and is ready to help you.
Here is one nugget from Steve: Since 2011, underdogs in the games in which teams are resting starters are on a 26-14 ATS run (65%).
👉 More from Steve, including detail on the five games (so far) where coaches have stated their intentions to play the backups.
Everything we do on Week 18 will be posted here.
Quick Hits
NBA: Zach Cohen‘s Best Bets and Steve Makinen‘s Analytics Report will hit around mid-morning on our NBA page. Our Opta AI NBA player props projections are here.
College Basketball: Greg “Hoops” Peterson has his Best Bet for today’s menu. Look for picks from Adam Burke and Tyler Shoemaker mid-morning on our college hoops page.
Get real-time steam alerts from the DonBest Screen. Sign up now for a 7-day free trial at go.donbest.com. Use the promo code VSIN10 for 10% off your initial subscription.
NHL: VSiN hockey analyst Jonathan Davis will post his Best Bets around mid-day.
Horse Racing: 1/ST BET’s Jeremy Plonk wraps up the year with picks for today’s card at Parx.
1/ST BET is built for bettors who demand more. Their AI-powered handicapping tools deliver Win, Place, and Show probabilities for every runner—helping you find value and bet smarter. Right now, new users can get up to a $250 sign-up bonus. Use promo code VSIN250 and sign up today.
