College Football Playoff Odds, Predictions & Best Bets To Back Today
The College Football Playoff teams are set, the bowl game matchups are decided and the action has officially entered the home stretch entering bowl season.
No. 1 Michigan will face No. 4 Alabama in the first College Football Playoff semifinal in the Rose Bowl, where the Wolverines are a -1.5 favorite over the Crimson Tide. Then it's on to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, where No. 3 Texas is a -4.5 favorite over No. 2 Washington in the second CFP semifinal at the Superdome.
We've also got a juicy slate of New Year's Six bowl games, ahead of what promises to be a great month for and entering bowl season.
College Football Playoff & New Year's Six Bowl Odds
College Football Playoff & New Year's Six Bowl Best Bets
Cotton Bowl
Missouri vs. Ohio State (-2.5)
The dominos fell such that Ohio State never had a case to sneak into the College Football Playoff over other top contenders, despite just one loss on the season against the current No. 1 overall. That’s just how it goes these days, a necessary element soon to be forgotten when the CFP expands to 12 teams in 2024. Instead, the Buckeyes will kick off the New Year’s Six slate as a small favorite over Missouri in the Cotton Bowl.
The Tigers are coming off their first 10-win season since 2014 and looking for their first bowl victory over the same stretch. Missouri had a pair of hard-fought losses to LSU and Georgia, otherwise taking care of business all season. They’ll also face a Buckeyes team without its starting quarterback. Ohio State junior Kyle McCord is entering the transfer portal and sophomore Devin Brown will likely get the nod after limited action in the regular season.
Best Bet:
Peach Bowl
Ole Miss vs. Penn State (-4.5)
A pair of 10-2 teams head to Atlanta for one of the most intriguing bowl season matchups. Penn State finished the regular season No. 1 in the nation in total defense, allowing 223.2 yards per game. The Nittany Lions limited opponents to just 3.91 yards a play, but they came up short in the biggest spots with a 20-12 loss at Ohio State and a 24-15 home loss to Michigan.
Lane Kiffin’s Rebels opened as +4.5 underdogs after proving themselves as one of the nation’s top offenses yet again behind junior quarterback Jaxon Dart. Ole Miss hasn’t faced a Big Ten opponent since a 2020 Outback Bowl win over Indiana. The Rebels went 0-4 against the spread in November, but they did pull off a big upset win earlier this year over LSU as a +2.5 dog.
Best Bet:
Orange Bowl
Georgia (-14) vs. Florida State
The Bulldogs opened as a two-touchdown favorite for a game neither team is happy about. Georgia was No. 1 overall heading into the SEC Championship game and fell to No.6 after an upset loss against Alabama, ruining the Dogs’ bid for a third straight national championship.
Florida State capped an undefeated season in a 16-6 ACC title game win over Louisville, but the CFP committee chose to leave the Seminoles out in the cold given how different they’ve looked since star quarterback Jordan Travis went down for the season in Week 12. Their only course of action from here is to upset Georgia, win outright and embarrass the committee in the process.
Best Bet:
Fiesta Bowl
Liberty vs. Oregon (-14.5)
It was all there for the taking for Oregon. All the Ducks needed to do was beat Washington in the Pac-12 Championship, securing a spot in the CFP and a likely Heisman Trophy for quarterback Bo Nix in the process. But Oregon stumbled at the worst time and came up short as a -9.5 favorite, a massive turn of events that’s led the Ducks to Arizona for the consolation prize – a Fiesta Bowl matchup with 13-0 Liberty.
The Ducks are favored by more than two touchdowns against the Conference USA Champs, with the Flames running the table against a slate of unranked opponents. Liberty went 9-4 against the spread, winning all but one game by seven points or more. The total is set for 64.5 as oddsmakers expect a shootout at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.
Best Bet:
CFP Semifinal No. 1
Alabama vs. Michigan (-1.5)
A telling hush fell over Michigan’s team room as its opponent for the first College Football Playoff semifinal game was revealed on Selection Sunday. Alabama popped up on screen at No. 4 and things got real for the No. 1 Wolverines, who go off as small favorites at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
Michigan destroyed Iowa in the Big Ten title game for a third straight conference championship and third straight CFP appearance. The Wolverines take on an Alabama team with tons of momentum and confidence after beating Georgia in the SEC title game, freezing them out of the CFP and ending the Bulldogs’ run of dominance in satisfying fashion. This is a huge program game for both teams – Michigan is looking to finally get over the hump and shrug off cheating allegations that have surrounded this team since October. Nick Saban and the Tide are looking to prove they’re still the team to beat with a chance at a fourth national championship over the past nine years.
Best Bet:
CFP Semifinal No. 2
Texas (-4.5) vs. Washington
These two teams got into the CFP the hard way, surviving numerous close calls throughout the year and winning their conference championship games to get into the Sugar Bowl for the second semifinal. Texas is a small favorite after its dominant 49-21 win over Oklahoma State in the Big 12 title game. The Longhorns also have arguably the best win of any team in the CFP, a 34-24 triumph over Alabama in early September.
Washington finished a perfect regular season with a 34-31 upset win over Oregon in the Pac 12 title game, making it eight single-digit victories in the Huskies’ final nine games. Washington found a way to get past the Ducks despite mounting injuries that have slowed a previously-prolific offensive attack. Now we’ll see if the Huskies can get back to their early-season ways with a full month to rest and recover ahead of a massive showdown with the Longhorns at the Superdome in New Orleans.
