Sunday’s inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff bracket reveal officially set the stage for the most anticipated postseason the sport has ever seen.
Eight more spots in the playoff field have created two extra rounds to determine a national champion, which could come from the Big Ten, the Southeastern Conference or even the Mountain West!
Now that the initial matchups are set, it’s time to examine the FanDuel odds for the first-round games and, of course, the latest national championship odds.
CFP Bracket: Odds for First-Round Games
Oregon’s win over Penn State in the Big Ten championship locked the Ducks into the No. 1 seed, while Georgia’s overtime triumph over Texas for the SEC crown moved the Bulldogs up to No. 2.
Boise State slotted in at No. 9 in the final CFP rankings but is the No. 3 seed thanks to its win over UNLV in the Mountain West championship.
With SMU losing to Clemson in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, No. 12-ranked Arizona State is the four seed after it throttled Iowa State to win the Big 12.
The top four teams get a bye, with the 5-12 seeds meeting in the first round.
12-seed Clemson (+330) vs. 5-seed Texas (-11.5)
Texas was favored to win the SEC and lock down a top-four seed, but Clemson was not expected to beat SMU for the ACC title. The Longhorns will therefore hunt redemption, while Dabo Swinney’s team is essentially playing with house money.
The winner will face Arizona State in the Peach Bowl.
9-seed Tennessee (+215) vs. 8-seed Ohio State (-7.5)
The third-highest-ranked team from the SEC (No. 7 Tennessee) will face off with the third-highest-ranked squad from the Big Ten (No. 6 Ohio State). This game brings the Buckeyes a chance at redemption for their embarrassing loss to Michigan to end the regular season.
The winner will travel to the Rose Bowl to play Oregon.
11-seed SMU (+240) vs. 6-seed Penn State (-7.5)
Concerns over strength of schedule dog both teams. Both have 11-2 records and were runners-up in their respective conferences. Penn State’s only win over a ranked opponent was against then-No. 19 Illinois in Week 4, while SMU has knocked off then-No. 22 Louisville and then-No. 18 Pittsburgh.
The winner will meet Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl.
10-seed Indiana (+230) vs. 7-seed Notre Dame (-7.5)
The Hoosiers may be the biggest surprise in college football this season, although their inclusion came with a few concerns over the strength of their schedule. After falling flat in a potential statement game against then-No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 23, Indiana can prove its might against a Fighting Irish squad that won its last 10 games.
The winner will take on Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
National Championship Odds and Picks
Oregon was the betting favorite (odds via FanDuel) prior to the final rankings reveal at +230. Post-reveal, Texas and Georgia are co-favorites at +360, followed by Oregon at +380, Ohio State at +500 and Penn State at +600.
Boise State is the biggest long shot at +7500 despite having a first-round bye. Like Boise State, Arizona State saw its odds go from +3500 to +6000 even though it doesn’t play until the quarterfinals.
The Picks are In…
First-Round Best Bet: Indiana-Notre Dame UNDER 51.5-both teams have solid offenses but will find it difficult to move the ball against the other’s defense.
Upset Special: Clemson (+340) over Texas-Cade Klubnik will have his hands full against the Texas secondary, but the Clemson defense could be up for the challenge against Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns offense.
National Championship Winner: Favorite-Oregon +380; Dark Horse-Notre Dame +1200; Long Shot-Arizona State +6000
–Field Level Media
