Eye-Catching Squirrel White Injury Development Leads Experts to Update Tennessee vs. Ohio State Prediction

Tennessee football faces a tough challenge against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff first round on Saturday, December 21, 2024. The game is set to kick off at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN, with both teams entering the matchup at 10-2.

Throughout the week, the health of Tennessee’s starting wide receivers—Squirrel White, Bru McCoy, and Dont’e Thornton—has been a major storyline. All three players missed significant action during the Vols' season finale against Vanderbilt on November 30 due to injuries. However, Tennessee's open practice this week revealed promising signs of progress, leaving head coach Josh Heupel optimistic about their availability.

“Every football team in this league is going to be banged up," said Heupel. “...I feel like we’ll have everybody ready to roll when we get up there.”

The Vols remain thin at wide receiver, but their CFP preparation has seen encouraging updates.

• Squirrel White: Practiced with a flexible brace on his left arm and participated in drills, including catching passes.
• Dont’e Thornton: Appeared close to full strength and took part in team drills.
• Bru McCoy: Limited to agility work on the sideline as he recovers from a lower-body injury.

Nine Tennessee players have entered the transfer portal since the regular season ended, including linebacker Jalen Smith, who was a key part of the defensive rotation. His absence could be significant against Ohio State’s potent offense, as Smith averaged over 21 defensive snaps per game.

Meanwhile, the Buckeyes appear relatively healthy heading into the CFP showdown. Offensive tackle Josh Simmons and running back Dallan Hayden were both full participants in practice, while linebacker C.J. Hicks remains questionable after missing practice earlier this week.

The game will be played in frigid conditions, with temperatures expected to be around 25 degrees at kickoff in Columbus, Ohio, with a low of just 16 degrees, according the National Weather Service. Tennessee has practiced outdoors to acclimate, but the cold could still pose challenges.

In light of these developments, Dimers’ analysts ran 10,000 simulations of the Tennessee vs. Ohio State matchup early Friday morning, taking into account the updated rosters and weather forecast.

The simulation results were compared to updated sportsbook odds to compile the data-driven UT vs. OSU preview below.

Tennessee vs. Ohio State Betting Preview

This preview includes Dimers’ best bets and projected scoreline for Tennessee vs. Ohio State. Fans of both teams can unlock a variety of betting boosts for Saturday's game with these betting deals from FanDuel and BetMGM, while Bet365's upgraded bonus code offer has emerged as the most popular college football betting promo among local Buckeyes fans in Ohio.

Game details

The key information you need before the Tennessee vs. Ohio State college football game.

• Teams: Tennessee vs. Ohio State
• Date: Saturday, December 21, 2024
• Kickoff: 8 p.m. EST
• Location: Ohio Stadium
• NCAAF rankings: Updated AP Top 25
• College football news: Check the latest updates from the official NCAA football news site

Odds

The latest and best odds for the college football matchup between the Tennessee and Ohio State.

• Spread: Tennessee +7.5 (-115), Ohio State -7.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: Tennessee +240, Ohio State -275
• Total: Over/Under 45.5 (-112/-108)

The odds and lines presented in this article are the best available from selected sports betting sites at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Expert Prediction: Tennessee vs. Ohio State

Leveraging cutting-edge data analysis and machine learning, the experts at Dimers have executed 10,000 simulations of Saturday's Tennessee vs. Ohio State game.

According to Dimers' renowned predictive analytics model, Ohio State is more likely to defeat Tennessee at Ohio Stadium. This prediction is based on the model giving Ohio State a 70% chance of winning the game.

Furthermore, Dimers predicts that the bookmakers have gotten it right and Tennessee and Ohio State each have a 50% chance of covering the spread, while the over/under total of 45.5 points has a 55% chance of going over.

As always, these predictions and probabilities are correct at the time of publication but are subject to potential changes.

Tennessee vs. Ohio State Best Bet

Our top pick for the Tennessee vs. Ohio State game on Saturday is to bet on Over 45.5 points (-112).

This expert betting advice is based on detailed simulations and valuable betting intelligence, designed to deliver you the best possible plays.

Score Prediction for Tennessee vs. Ohio State

Dimers' predicted final score for the Tennessee vs. Ohio State game on Saturday has Ohio State prevailing 27-20.

This expert prediction is based on each team's average score following 10,000 game simulations, offering a glimpse into the potential outcome.

College Football Week 17: Tennessee vs. Ohio State

Get ready for Saturday's college football action between Tennessee and Ohio State at Ohio Stadium, which is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. EST. We emphasize that all of the college football best bets and college football predictions in this article are derived from 10,000 data-driven simulations of the Tennessee vs. Ohio State game, and they are accurate at the time of publishing to help you make more informed choices when placing bets at online sportsbooks.

It is important to gamble responsibly and seek reliable sources for accurate and up-to-date information when making online betting choices.