College Football Round 1 Playoff Odds and Early Predictions for Opening Games

• The first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff bracket is set and odds are our for all four first-round games
• All four home teams are favored, including #8 Ohio State (-6.5) against #9 Tennessee
• Below, see the opening College Football Playoff Round 1 odds and early predictions

Conference championships have been decided and the selection committee has cemented the first-even 12-team College Football Playoff bracket. The top-four seeds, who receive byes to the quarterfinals, are the #1 Oregon Ducks, #2 Georgia Bulldogs, #3, Boise State Broncos, and #4 Arizona State Sun Devils. The four first-round games will feature the #12 Clemson Tigers at #5 Texas Longhorns, #11 SMU Mustangs at #6 Penn State Nittany Lions, #10 Indiana Hoosiers at #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and #9 Tennessee at #8 Ohio State. The table below lists the opening odds for all four first-round matchups.

College Football Playoff: Round 1 Odds

The opening lines for the quartet of first-round games are all 6.5 points or higher, with the home team heavily favored in all four matchups.

Odds as of Dec. 8 at FanDuel and DraftKings. Claim the FanDuel promo code to bet on the 2024-25 College Football Playoff and bookmark the college football odds to see the latest lines. 

The latest national championship odds continue to favor Oregon (+320) and Georgia (+380) after the bracket reveal. Texas (+400), Ohio State (+450) and Penn State (+750) round out the top-five favorites. After Penn State, there is a fairly big drop to sixth-favorite Notre Dame (+1200) and then an even bigger drop to seventh-favorite Tennessee (+2500).

The longest shots on the board are SMU (+3000), Clemson (+4000), Arizona State (+4000), Indiana (+4000), and Boise State (+5000).

Early CFP Round 1 Predictions

I was stunned at just how big the opening lines are for these games, and I lean to all four underdogs. Yes, home-field advantage will be a real thing in the Round 1 matchups, but every one of the better-seeded teams already has a straight-up loss on its home field this season.

Texas fell 30-15 to Georgia on Oct. 19 in a game when they were decidedly the second-best team on the field. Penn State lost 20-13 to Ohio State on Nov. 2, getting out-gained 358 to 270 yards in the process. Notre Dame lost 16-14 at home to Northern Illinois in a game that will go down as the single-most puzzling result of the season. And Ohio State lost its fourth straight iteration of The Game in Columbus against Michigan (20-13).

Bookmark the college football public betting splits to see where the early money is going on the first-round games and how the lines are shifting.

As college football fans eagerly await the start of the playoff season, the excitement and anticipation are palpable. With the first round of playoff games quickly approaching, it’s time to take a closer look at the odds and early predictions for the opening matchups.

In the first game of the playoffs, we have the top-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide taking on the fourth-seeded Cincinnati Bearcats. Alabama, led by head coach Nick Saban, has been dominant all season long and is favored to come out on top in this matchup. With a high-powered offense and a stout defense, the Crimson Tide will be a tough team to beat for the Bearcats. However, Cincinnati has had an impressive season as well, with a strong defense and a dynamic offense led by quarterback Desmond Ridder. While Alabama may be the favorite, don’t count out the Bearcats just yet.

In the second game of the playoffs, we have the second-seeded Michigan Wolverines facing off against the third-seeded Georgia Bulldogs. Michigan has had a resurgence this season under head coach Jim Harbaugh, with a powerful running game and a solid defense. Georgia, on the other hand, has been a force to be reckoned with all season long, boasting one of the best defenses in the country. This game is shaping up to be a defensive battle, with both teams looking to establish their dominance on that side of the ball. It’s sure to be a close and hard-fought matchup between two powerhouse programs.

As for early predictions, it’s tough to say who will come out on top in these opening games. Alabama and Georgia are both perennial powerhouses in college football, but Michigan and Cincinnati have proven themselves to be formidable opponents as well. It will ultimately come down to which team can execute their game plan and make the key plays when it matters most.

No matter the outcome, one thing is for certain – these playoff games are sure to be thrilling and full of excitement. College football fans can expect to see some of the best teams in the country battling it out for a chance to compete for the national championship. So buckle up and get ready for some high-stakes football as we head into the first round of playoff games.