Washington vs Ohio State 2019 Rose Bowl Odds & Pick

No bowl game has a more storied history than the Rose Bowl, known as the “Grandaddy of ‘Em All” — and Urban Meyer will coach his final game at Ohio State in his first trip to Pasadena. Ohio State comes in looking for some redemption, as quarterback Dwayne Haskins put up Heisman Trophy numbers with 4,580 passing yards, 47 touchdown passes and just eight picks. He threw for 400 or more yards in five different games. If it hadn’t been for that shellacking they took at Purdue, they might have made the national semifinals. Now they take on a Washington team that won the Pac-12 but is also on the outside of the playoffs, and coach Chris Petersen has gone just 1-3 in bowl games while leading the Huskies.

Washington vs Ohio State 2019 Rose Bowl Odds & Pick

When: Tuesday, January 1, 2019, 5:00pm ET Where: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA TV: ESPN Radio: Washington IMG Sports Network / Ohio State IMG Sports Network Live Stream: WatchESPN 2019 Rose Bowl Odds: Ohio State -6.5 O/U 56

Why should you bet on the Huskies?

Washington comes in having won four in a row, including a 10-3 slugfest against Utah in the Pac-12 Championship. Their defense was a strength all year long, as they permitted just 15.5 points per game all season and ranked in the top 20 nationally in passing and rushing yardage permitted per game. While Huskies quarterback Jake Browning completed 65% of his passes, his yardage was average (2,879 on the season) and his TD:INT ratio of 16:10 was not spectacular by any means. Tailbacks Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed combined for almost 1,800 yards. Washington has only covered in one of their last four non-conference games, and Ohio State has clicked at a level that Washington has not managed to this year — and Ohio State’s competition has been tougher as well. That Big Ten title did not earn the Buckeyes a spot in the College Football Playoff, but Washington’s only brush with elite competition this year came in a Week 1 loss to Auburn. If you like the Huskies, you see the Buckeyes coming out flat on both sides of the ball and Washington taking advantage.

Why should you put your money on the Buckeyes?

Ohio State finished the season with a five-game winning streak, including a 45-24 victory over Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship. Their offense ranked #2 in the nation, scoring 43.5 points per game and averaging 549 yards per game. Their defense was more than adequate, permitting 25.7 points per game. Dwayne Haskins’ two favorite targets were Parris Campbell (79 catches for 982 yards) and K.J. Hill (67 catches, 831 yards). Tailbacks J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber combined for almost 1,900 rushing yards on 380 carries. Ohio State has covered in four straight games against Pac-12 opponents. They have also covered in eight of their last ten games played at a neutral site. The Buckeyes’ offense should be able to move the ball well enough against a stingy Washington defense to get the points that they need. Washington’s offense shouldn’t scare an Ohio State defense that was able to shut down most of their opponents when they needed stops.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

The Rose Bowl is not a consolation prize by any means, and Ohio State should not suffer any letdown in motivation coming in against Washington just because they didn’t make the College Football Playoff. With a chance to send Urban Meyer off in style, I expect the Buckeyes ready to come out and execute from the opening kickoff. Given the disparity in the talent that Washington has played, I expect Ohio State to roll, 34-17.