Friday night college football bowl action concludes with a potentially pulsating clash in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic as the 10-2 Missouri Tigers of the SEC take on the 11-1 Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten.
Missouri is looking to end its sensational season in style while the Buckeyes are aiming for a bounce back. So, who wins? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and a Cotton Bowl prediction.
Cotton Bowl Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. Want to take advantage of the Cotton Bowl odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page to place bets in your state.
- Spread
Ohio State -2 - Moneyline
Ohio State -130, Missouri +110 - Over/Under
49 points - Game time
8:00 p.m. ET - Location
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX - Predicted Weather at Kick
32 degrees, 10 mph winds, clear - How to Watch
ESPN, FuboTV
Looking to make some money on Missouri? Considering banging some bucks on the Buckeyes this Friday? If you’re going to take advantage of the Cotton Bowl odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
Ohio State has historically dominated this clash, bringing a 10-1-1 winning record into the 13th-ever clash. The Buckeyes also won the last two times they met, and Ryan Day’s team is the favored team in the latest Cotton Bowl odds. They haven’t lost when favored during the 2023 college football season, but that could change by Friday’s end of this game.
Missouri is 3-2 as an underdog during this remarkable campaign. While they lost their two biggest games of the year — Georgia and LSU — the circumstances surrounding their Cotton Bowl opponent could play into the hands of the Tigers on Friday night. Additionally, they’re 4-1 covering the spread as an underdog this season.
Furthermore, Ohio State has failed to cover the spread as a favorite four times this year, including as a single-digit favorite against Notre Dame. Wrapping up the Cotton Bowl odds, games involving Missouri have gone over the points line eight times this year, with Ohio State going over in just three games. It could go either way on Friday night, depending on player opt-outs.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
Missouri Depth Chart | Ohio State Depth Chart
- QB Brady Cook, Missouri
- QB Devin Brown, Ohio State
- RB Cody Schrader, Missouri
- RB Nate Peat, Missouri
- RB Jamal Roberts, Missouri
- RB TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
- RB Dallan Hayden, Ohio State
- RB Xavier Johnson, Ohio State
- WR Theo Wease Jr, Missouri
- WR Luther Burden III, Missouri
- WR Mookie Cooper, Missouri
- WR Marvin Harrison Jr, Ohio State
- WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
- WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
- TE Brett Norfleet, Missouri
- TE Cade Stover, Ohio State
There are four college football games on Friday to compile your DFS team from. If you’re new to DFS, Fanduel Superflex contests require you to select a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, and a “Superflex” that can be any of the above or a tight end.
Kicking off your Cotton Bowl picks, this Missouri roster is packed with valuable fantasy assets. Brady Cook is one of the highest-scoring quarterbacks for fantasy purposes playing on Friday. Meanwhile, running back Cody Schrader has been a revelation for fantasy owners after rushing for 1,489 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, totaling 246 fantasy points.
MORE: College Football Bowl Game Opt-Out Tracker
The matchup might not be ideal for Schrader, so don’t rule out Luther Burden III as a potential option at wide receiver. Thriving in his sophomore season under offensive coordinator Kirby Moore, Burden has racked up 168.8 fantasy points with over 1,000 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Ohio State’s fantasy prospects are inextricably tied to the game status of wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. He’s been at the forefront of the Buckeyes offense this season. If he plays, Harrison has the potential to transform your Cotton Bowl picks, and to impact our Cotton Bowl prediction entirely. If he doesn’t, expect a heavy workload for running back TreVeyon Henderson.
Prediction for the Cotton Bowl
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the Cotton Bowl odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction.
Can Missouri round out a miracle season with another magnificent win? Or will the Buckeyes rally behind Devin Brown to give Ohio State the win in an unwanted consolation game for the perennial college football title contender?
After losing to Michigan in “The Game,” Day’s team missed out on the Big Ten Championship Game and, in a fiercely contested season, were left outside the College Football Playoff conversation.
They enter the Cotton Bowl without starting quarterback Kyle McCord, who exited via the transfer portal following a season where he was much maligned despite throwing for 3,170 yards, averaging 9.1 yards per attempt, and throwing for 24 touchdowns versus just six interceptions.
Backup Brown couldn’t beat out McCord for the starting job and threw just 22 passes in 2023. That could make a difference here.
At the same time, the biggest difference-maker could be the availability of wide receiver Harrison Jr. Such has been his impact on the team that the quarterback is almost irrelevant as long as the Heisman finalist pass catcher is on the field.
MORE: Is Marvin Harrison Jr. Playing in the Cotton Bowl?
Meanwhile, the Buckeyes defense has been the best we’ve seen at Ohio State for several years. They’ve averaged just 11.0 points allowed in 2023, ranking second in the nation.
The unit has been particularly strong against the run, giving up just 3.38 yards per carry and just five rushing touchdowns, — the second-fewest in the country.
That latter part could be crucial against a Missouri offense that ranks in the top 40 in the nation for rushing touchdowns. They’re also a top-30 passing offense while ranking 24th for scoring offense. With a loaded roster, they can beat you in many ways and have a strong-legged kicker in Harrison Mevis, which means points are achievable from almost anywhere.
Their defense being ranked 42nd for scoring defense doesn’t tell the full story of how good they’ve been on that side of the ball. They have multiple players capable of making plays in the backfield, led by sack-leader Darius Robinson. A secondary featuring Kris Abrams-Draine and Jaylon Carlies can compete at the catch point with any wide receiver.
The defense can force turnovers, and the offense is as good as anyone in the nation at protecting the ball, meaning that Missouri has one of the best turnover margins in the country. Against a backup quarterback who might not have his number one receiving threat, that could be the difference maker in a tight game that could be one of the best in bowl season.
Prediction: Missouri 27, Ohio State 23
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