College Football Playoff Betting Guide & Best Bets: Hooisers, Hurricanes Favored In Semifinals
We're entering the homestretch of "Playoffuary." The College Football Playoff began on Dec. 19 and ends with the national championship game 31 days later, on Jan. 19. Follow our College Football Playoff Betting Guide & Best Bets for all the latest news and analysis.
In the semifinals: an all-Big Ten Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Indiana is favored over Oregon in Atlanta; and Miami is the oddsmakers' pick over Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl.
The first round of the college football playoffs saw two road teams score upsets: Alabama and Miami. Meanwhile, Ole Miss and Oregon demolished their "Group of 5" opponents by a combined score of 92-44.
The jinx of teams with byes continued in the quarterfinals - 3 of the 4 teams that had the extra time off lost. Ohio State got smothered by Miami; Georgia blew a 9-point lead in losing to Ole Miss; and Oregon shut out Texas Tech. Only Indiana, which is favored to win it all, benefited from its bye. The Hoosiers thumped Alabama, scoring an easy cover as 6.5-point favorites in a 38-3 rout.
Here’s the current College Football Playoff Betting Guide & Odds Tracker breakdown for you to use at the best sports betting apps.
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College Football Playoff Final Top 12
Here are current College Football Playoff teams, with each team ranked by its national championship odds at DraftKings , and listed with its overall record.
| RANK | TEAM | TITLE ODDS | RECORD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Indiana | +135 | 14-0 |
| T2 |  Oregon | +300 | 13-1 |
| T2 |  Miami | +300 | 12-2 |
| 4 |  Ole Miss | +550 | 13-1 |
What Is The 2025-26 College Football Playoff Schedule?
Here's the breakdown of the College Football Playoff Schedule for the 2025-26 season.
| DATE | TV/TIME (ET) | MATCHUP/SCORE | Best Bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, December 19 | ABC/ESPN, 8 p.m. | (9) ALA 34. (8) OU 24 | Alabama ML |
| Saturday, December 20 | ABC/ESPN, Noon | (10) UM 10, (7) TAMU 3 | Texas A&M -4 |
| TNT, 3:30 p.m. | (6) MISS 41, (11) TUL. 10 | UNDER 56.5 | |
| TNT. 7:30 p.m. | (5) ORE 51, (12) JMU 34 | JMU +20.5 | |
| New Year's Eve | 7:30 p.m. | Cotton Bowl: (2) Ohio St. vs. (10) Miami | Ohio State -9.5 |
| New Year's Day | Noon | Orange Bowl: (4) Texas Tech vs. (5) Oregon | UNDER 53 |
| 4 p.m. | Rose Bowl: (1) Indiana vs. (9) Alabama | Indiana -6.5 | |
| 8 p.m. | Sugar Bowl: (3) Georgia vs. (6) Ole Miss | Georgia -7 | |
| Thursday, January 8 | 7:30 p.m. | Playoff Semifinal - Fiesta Bowl | Miami -2.5 |
| Friday, January 9 | 7:30 p.m. | Playoff Semifinal - Peach Bowl | TBD |
| Monday, January 19 | 7:30 p.m. | College Football Playoff National Championship | TBD |
Check the College Football Playoff Betting Guide before you wager responsibly on the best sports betting apps.
ESPN will broadcast the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the National Championship Game on Jan. 19, set for Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
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College Football Playoff Best Bets
Here are the current odds and NCAAF picks for the semifinal games in our College Football Playoff Betting Guide & Odds Tracker:
Thursday, January, 8
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
(10) Miami (12-2) vs. (6) Ole Miss (13-1)
State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Buzz: Two at-large teams - Miami and Ole Miss - fill this semifinal spot. Miami cashed twice as a live underdog in the Playoff — and under bettors rode shotgun in both games. Now, Miami is favored by 2.5-points to punch a ticket to the national championship game in its third-straight road playoff game. The Hurricanes lie just 60 minutes away from playing for the Natty at home in Hard Rock Stadium.
But first, they must contend with Trindad Chambliss and the high-flying, "Who Needs Lane Kiffin?" Ole MIss Rebels.
The Hurricanes smothered defending national champion Ohio State 24-14 in the Cotton Bowl. Keionte Scott ran back a 72-yard pick-six in the second quarter off a screen pass to trigger Miami's Category 5 defense. Miami won outright as 7.5-point dogs and smothered a 53.5-point total that never had a pulse.
Miami's price to win the national championship spiked from +2000 prior to beating Ohio State, to +475 afterwards. It edged to +300 after Ole Miss beat UGA. Ole Miss entered the playoff as an afterthought at +1600 before beating UGA.
Ole Miss avenged a loss to Georgia by taking the Sugar Bowl in a 39-34 thriller. The Rebels erased a 9-point deficit in the 2nd half. Chambliss' delivered an all-world performance, staying on the move and ripping deep into Georgia's tattered secondary.
The Hurricanes' stormy defensive front poses a tougher challenge. Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. anchors Miami's offense. His 19 carries for 97 yards against the Buckeyes were complemented by 2 receptions, including a TD. He'll get his 20 carries, as well as several targets, from Carson Beck. UM coach Mario Cristobal relies on defense to force turnovers, and get off the field. And he'll let Beck carefully manage things from there. Hopefully with a lead.
Ole Miss wears Cinderella's shoes this Playoffuary. Cast Kiffin as the an evil stepbrother. But Ole Miss' clock strikes midnight at the hands of Miami's princely defense. The Hurricanes get the win and cover with a defense can turn even the best offenses into pumpkins.
Lay the points and lean into the under in our College Football Playoff Betting Guide & Best Bets.
Best Bet: Miami -2.5 (-110) FanDuel via OddsJam
Best Bet: Under 51.5 Points (-110) FanDuel via OddsJam
Friday, January 9
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
(1) Indiana (14-0) vs. (5) Oregon (13-1)
Mercedes Benz Stadium
7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Buzz: This game is a rematch between Big Ten combatants. Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza threw for 215 yards and a key fourth-quarter TD strike as Indiana nabbed the 30-20 upset victory at Eugene on October 11.
The Oregon Ducks took flight in the Orange Bowl early New Year's Day and proceeded to tar and feather Big 12 Champion Texas Tech in a 23-0 snoozer. The Hoosiers mercifully ended all that "Bye Week Jinx" chatter later in the day with a 38-3 rout of Alabama in the Rose Bowl.
Indiana opened at -3.5 but early money and sharps pushed thus number quickly to 4.5 at some books. Of the early money reported by theScoreBet, 70.8% of bets, 65.4% of handle came in on the Hoosiers to cover. Indiana's offense line scored MVP honors in the Rose Bowl, continuing its mountainous performance in both giving Mendoza ample time to throw, and opening holes for RB Roman Hembry.
Oregon has yet to be tested since an 18-16, win at Iowa on November 8. Thus, the Ducks could be rusty down the stretch. Oregon QB Dante Moore threw for more yards than Mendoza this season. The Ducks have plenty of talent and physicality on both sides of the ball to keep pace with Indiana. The Hoosiers win this one with a late kick as the points pile up in the second half. But take the points given that this one will be close, and the over in our College Football Playoff Betting Guide & Best Bets
Best Bet: Oregon +4 (-105) BetMGM via OddsJam
Best Bet: Over 46.5 Points (-110) FanDuel via OddsJam
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How To Earn A College Football Playoff Berth?
The College Football Playoff Selection Committee chooses the 12 teams that make the playoff. Committee membership consists of one member each from the 10 FBS conferences, and the University of Notre Dame.
The four highest-ranked conference champions earn the 1-4 seeds and a first-round bye. The remaining teams, including the fifth conference champion, get seeded 5-12 based on their final ranking.
No specific formula exists to determine the 12 playoff berths. Committee members are free to use whatever data they choose. Among the factors considered are strength of schedule, head-to-head results against common opponents, and conference championships won. The Power 4 Conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) play their conference championship games on Saturday, Dec. 6.
One spot among the 12 teams is set aside for the best “Group of 5” school. The “Group of 5” berth goes to the team determined to be the best from the American, CUSA, MAC, Mountain West, and Sun Belt. This year, that team is likely to be Memphis.
Changes This Season In The College Football Playoff
This season, the CFB Playoff eliminated the automatic first-round bye for the four best conference champions. Now, the teams will be seeded based on their overall quality, with the best conference champion not making the top four, getting the 5th spot overall.
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How Is The College Football Playoff Schedule Determined?
The No. 5-12 teams play in a first round with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds on campus. The selection committee, meanwhile, assigns the top four conference champions to Playoff Quarterfinals hosted by bowls. The committee considers historic bowl relationships and then rankings when assigning those games.
The two Playoff Semifinals will be played in bowl games, and a national championship game will be played in a different city every year, always on a Monday night.
Do Any Teams Automatically Qualify For The College Football Playoff?
No. The Committee evaluates each FBS team on performance. Just ask Notre Dame.
Where Will The National Championship Game Be Played?
Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, plays host to the 2026 National Championship Game on Jan. 19. Future national championship games, meanwhile, take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (2027), the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans (2028), and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa (2029)
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