College football predictions, odds: Experts pick Michigan vs. Georgia playoff semifinal in Orange Bowl game
The College Football Playoff semifinals are on Friday. Alabama will play Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl on Saturday afternoon. Michigan will take on Georgia in Orange Bowl. The games will be played before New Year's Eve. CBS Sports' experts at betting will help you make the best bets. They will share their picks. It's a great way to keep entertained.
2021 Orange Bowl is a college football semifinal between Michigan and Georgia. The teams are similar in their offenses and defenses. Georgia's defense is good, but Michigan's secondary is better. The game is expected to finish 27-20. Michigan is favored by 7.5 points. Over 45. 5 points is the over-under. It's a game that is well within the range of outcomes. Experts pick Michigan vs.Georgia to win. They also pick Georgia to advance to the next round.
James Cook has caught 21 passes for 157 yards and three touchdowns this year. He's capable of going over 15.5 receiving yards on one reception against Michigan. Georgia's passing attack is focused on Brock Bowers, but Michigan's pass rush could force Stetson Bennett to look for his checkdown a lot.
Alabama Crimson Tide and Cincinnati Bearcats are playing in the CFP semifinals. Alabama has won all of its playoff games by an average of 20.2 points. Cincinnati's defense has been phenomenal this season, but I'm not confident it can withstand the Alabama offense. The over is a good bet. The game should be close and end in a few minutes. It's unlikely to be a slugfest. I pick Alabama.Alabama is favored by 13.5 points, while the total is 58.0. This is Alabama's seventh playoff appearance. Its last loss was to Ohio State in 2014.
Cincinnati's defense has been one of the best in the country all season. Ahmad Gardner and Coby Bryant have helped them to limit passing attacks. Bryce Young has averaged 3.3 touchdowns this season and should have another average performance today. SportsLine's computer model has returned almost $3,600 in profit over the past five-plus seasons.
