College Football Playoff Odds & Predictions: Don’t Overlook Teams With Longer Odds

The start of the 2023-24 college football season is just weeks away, making it a great time to review the latest college football playoff odds. It is the last year for the four-team field; the playoff field will expand to 12 teams next season.

Picking a winner is always a challenge since there are so many good teams, but this market is not asking you to pick one team to win it all. It asks you to pick the four teams to make the playoff and have a shot at the national championship.

Odds of Making The College Football Playoff

Here are the latest college football playoff odds for several teams at some of the top sportsbook apps in the country (odds for additional teams available at each sportsbook):

The top contenders are many of the usual suspects, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, and Clemson. Alabama has been in every playoff but two (the last two), Georgia is a two-time defending champ, Ohio State has made three of the last four (five overall), and Clemson has made six of nine (but missed the last two).

After making the last two, hopes are high for Michigan once again. Confidence is always high in Texas, whether the team deserves it or not. Expectations are sky-high for USC in Lincoln Riley’s second season.

But if history is any indication, bettors should take a flyer on at least one longshot. During the CFP Era, at least one team with +500 odds or longer has made the playoff each season (sometimes multiple).

CFP Odds: Best Bets Not Names Georgia, Ohio State, and Alabama

Much like every team in college football, Georgia, Ohio State, and Alabama have questions about their respective rosters entering the season. But unlike the rest, they have proven in recent years that they can reload from one season to the next without missing a beat.

So, if you want to bet on any of those three at one of the best college football betting sites, no one will call you crazy (maybe Georgia since they have minus-money odds; no value). But while the playoff has featured as many as three returning teams from the previous season, at least one team didn’t make it the prior year (often two).

With that in mind, here are some of our best bets to make the college football playoff this season:

Michigan +130 (FanDuel)

The Wolverines have a lot of talent returning on both sides of the ball, including quarterback J.J. McCarthy and running back Blake Corum. But their non-conference schedule is soft, so they will need to beat Ohio State for the third year in a row and may even need style points.

Florida State +380 (FanDuel)

The Seminoles will look to build off last season’s 10-3 record this year. With the bulk of the defense returning and a Heisman contender at quarterback, they could become the team to beat in the ACC. They’ll get tested right out of the game with a tough one against LSU.

LSU +480 (FanDuel)

Brian Kelly engineered an incredible turnaround for the Tigers last season, taking a team that went 6-7 the year before and going 10-4. A potential Heisman candidate leads the offense in quarterback Jayden Daniels, and the defense could be one of the best in the SEC. If Daniels can continue to progress as a player, the LSU offense could be one of the best in CFB.

Other teams worth considering include Clemson, Oregon, Washington, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, and Utah. Each team has an excellent quarterback coming back but may need a player or two to emerge on each side of the ball to turn them into playoff contenders.

Notre Dame +750 (FanDuel)

The Fighting Irish didn’t look great for the entire season last year, but they improved tremendously as the year went on. Yes, the losses to Ohio State and Marshall to start the season were ugly. But the wins over BYU, Clemson, and Syracuse were encouraging.

With the talent returning and the addition of quarterback Sam Hartman via the transfer portal, Notre Dame could contend but will probably need to go undefeated to make the playoffs.

College Football Playoff Odds: Longshots/Value Picks

Not including the 2020-21 season, 29 of 32 college football playoff teams had odds shorter than +1000. One (TCU last season) did not have odds when the market opened; the other two had odds north of +2000 (Cincinnati and Michigan in 2021-22).

While neither of the three went on to win the championship, bettors that took a flyer on them just to make the playoff walked away happy. But who could be this season’s TCU/Michigan/Cincinnati?

We have a few ideas:

Ole Miss +3000 (FanDuel)

Jaxson Dart showed a lot of promise last season, but he may lose the job to Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders this season. Sanders will, of course, be an instant upgrade and could help the offense look as good as it did with Matt Corral at the helm. If new defensive coordinator Pete Golding can get the defense on track, the Rebels could have a shot at the playoffs.

South Carolina +4000 (FanDuel)

If you watched the Tennessee and/or Clemson game towards the end of the last season, you’d understand why the Gamecocks are a legitimate longshot. The defense was solid, and Spencer Rattler began to live up to the promise many thought he had at Oklahoma.

They’ll need to do some work on the offensive line and fill a lot of holes on the defense. But if they can, Rattler will give them an offense defensive coordinators will fear.

Arkansas +6000 (FanDuel)

Head coach Sam Pitman made the world take notice when he took over a 3-7 team and turned it into a 9-4 in his first season (2021). Injuries and a poor defense contributed to the team finishing just 7-6 last season. But what about this season?

After mining the transfer portal for talent, the team filled many of the roster holes. KJ Jefferson gives the team one of the best quarterbacks in college football. If Pittman and his new coordinators can get the roster on the same page sooner rather than later, then the Razorbacks could make the CFP.

Our Picks:

• Best Bets: LSU, Florida State, Alabama
• Dark Horse: Notre Dame
• Longshot: Arkansas, South Carolina

Read more: College Football Championship Odds | Heisman Trophy Odds | SEC odds | Big 10 odds | Pac 12 odds | ACC odds | Big 12 odds

College Football Playoff Odds: History

The following table contains the odds to make the college football playoffs for each season of the College Football Playoff era (odds via sportsoddshistory.com). The odds in bold print are the teams that made the CFP that season:

Best Sports Betting Apps for College Football Playoff Odds

How can you find the best sports betting apps for College Football Playoff odds? Who you can bet with will depend on who operates in your state and carries those CFP odds. This is where six of the best betting apps operating in the US are licensed to take bets:

• BetMGM: AZ, CO, DC, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MD, MI, MS, NJ, OH, NV, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV & WY
• Caesars: AZ, CO, IN, IA, IL, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA & WV
• BetRivers: AZ, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MI, NY, PA, WV & VA, CT & NJ
• FanDuel: AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, LA, MI, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY
• PointsBet: CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA & WV
• DraftKings: AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV & WY

Those are the biggest shops, but many smaller operations contribute to providing customers with deep menus. But the online marketplace for College Football Playoff odds can vary, putting those who have done their homework in the best positions to capitalize on College Football Playoff predictions. Incentives are aplenty, too.

Best Sportsbook Bonuses for Betting on Odds To Make The College Football Playoff

How to Bet on College Football Playoff Odds

If you’re looking to bet on College Football Playoff odds this year, it’s a perfect time to take advantage of amazing limited-time welcome offers available at sportsbooks today. Add more than one sports betting app to your playbook so you can line shop for the most competitive College Football Playoff odds.

Choose Your Online Sportsbook

Most US states with legal online sports betting put multiple mobile sports betting apps at your fingertips. The welcome bonuses, as well as College Football Playoff odds markets, differ from sportsbook to sportsbook.

Check out Gaming Today for comprehensive coverage of online sportsbooks operating in your state. Once you’ve chosen a sportsbook, you must provide proof of age and identity to register for a new account.

Make Your First Deposit

Once the sportsbook verifies your account details, you can deposit funds and start wagering on College Football Playoff odds.

Navigating to the cashier at your chosen sportsbook displays all the different deposit options. But some of the most reliable deposit methods include PayPal, Play+, debit/credit cards, and ACH/eCheck.

Make Your First Bet

College football national championship futures will be featured prominently on every sportsbook’s home page once the 2023-24 CFB season draws near. Many legal online sportsbooks will offer various ways to bet on CFB futures, including odds to make the college football playoffs. Remember, many welcome bonuses at sportsbooks are only for the first wager, so choose wisely!

Cashing Out

If your College Football Playoff bet cashes in– congratulations! You can reinvest your winnings into other bets, but if you are ready to cash out, all sportsbooks will offer you several different options.

PayPal, ACH/eCheck, and Play+ represent some of the fastest ways to cash out when your College Football Playoff wagers win.

What Is Implied Probability?

Implied probability is the likelihood of a particular outcome based on the odds. For example, let’s examine Alabama’s odds of making the college football playoff, +155 via FanDuel. Those odds translate into a 39.22% implied probability the Tide will return to the playoffs.

You can use our calculator to determine a wager’s implied probability.

How Does the College Football Playoff Work?

A 13-member committee begins meeting each week during the second half of the season and releases its top 25 every Tuesday. The final rankings come out following the conference championship games, with the top four teams making the college football playoff.

Two semifinal games occur around New Year’s Eve, with the CFP Championship game to follow roughly a week later, on a Monday. The winner of that game gets crowned national champions.

The semifinal games rotate between six bowl games, the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose, and Sugar Bowls. But the 2023-24 season will be the last that uses the four-team format. Starting in 2024-24, the playoff will consist of 12 teams under the following format:

• The first round will take place on the home field of the higher-seeded team on Saturday, Dec. 21.
• The No. 1-4 seeds will have a bye in the first round, but the matchups for the other teams are as follows: No. 12 at No. 5, No. 11 at No. 6, No. 10 at No. 7, and No. 9 at No. 8.
• Bowl games used in the quarterfinals and semifinal rounds will rotate among the following: Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Cotton, and Orange Bowl.
• The 2024-25 title game will occur in Atlanta on Jan. 25, 2025.
• The 2025-26 game will be in Miami on Jan. 19, 2026.

The 12 teams will include the six conference champions and the six highest-ranked teams that are not conference champs.

College Football Betting 101

Are you a new bettor that needs help making sense of the wide world of sports betting? That’s understandable—it can be pretty daunting. Which sportsbook app should you use? Is this welcome bonus better than that one? What is implied probability?

You can find answers to these questions and more on some of the following pages:

• Is sports betting legal in your state?
• If so, any there any restrictions regarding college sports?
• It may seem cut and dried, but after you make a mistake, you’ll wish you had read up on how to place a bet.
• Some sports betting apps are better than others.
• Make sure you take advantage of the welcome bonus for your sportsbook when you sign up.
• Every bettor needs to understand what line shopping is and why it’s important.
• Need some help understanding the odds? Or why they change?
• It helps to know what implied probability is and how to calculate it.

Our Tools page contains a lot of helpful information, as does the How To Bet On College Football Games page.

Also Bet: College Football Championship Odds | CFB Win Totals | College Football Odds For Select Games | Pac-12 Odds