A massive wager has added intrigue to college football’s most anticipated Week 1 matchup. Early Saturday morning, Caesars Sportsbook in reported taking a $1 million bet on No. 1 Texas to defeat No. 3 Ohio State outright. The moneyline wager came at -105 odds, means a Longhorns victory would net $952,380.95, according to Yahoo Sports.
The high-stakes play arrives as oddsmakers continue to see dramatic swings in the betting market. Ohio State opened the summer as a 3-point favorite, but strong public support for Texas fueled by anticipation for Arch Manning’s debut pushed the line closer to even. By Saturday morning, the line had shifted back, with Ohio State listed as a consensus 1.5-point favorite at BetMGM.
This isn’t the only large bet placed on the Longhorns. Circa Sports reported a $550,000 wager on Texas +1 earlier this week, while BetMGM said Texas +1 has been the most-bet play among Top 25 matchups, accounting for 66% of the total handle.
The Longhorns entered as underdog and make rare history. The nation’s top team has closed as a Week 1 underdog for the first time since 1978, according to ESPN research.
Texas trailed Ohio State 7-0 at halftime.
MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS:
- WATCH: Fan nails FG for $250K, steps in Peter Herbstreit's poop while celebrating on ESPN College GameDay
- Skip Bayless rips Arch Manning for 'concerning' first half against Ohio State
- Browns executives attend Texas-Ohio State, fueling Arch Manning rumors
- Deion Sanders sends five-word message to Robert Griffin III about new TV gig
- Shedeur Sanders sends clear message to Deion after Georgia Tech loss