The NCAA Football regular season has come to an end and a four-team playoff field is set to determine who will be crowned National Champion. Here's a look at the odds for the four teams and the sports betting impact.
What Happened: After a weekend of conference championship games, the Selection Committee has chosen the four teams to compete in the NCAA Football Playoffs, ending the University of Georgia's hopes for back-to-back-to-back championships.
Georgia, who had been undefeated and the number one team in the country for the 2023 season, was beaten by the University of Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. As a result, Alabama was ranked fourth by the Selection Committee with a 12-1 record, beating out 13-0 Florida State and sparking debate on records, strength of schedule and what an undefeated season means.
The final playoff seedings are:
- Michigan (13-0 record)
- Washington (13-0)
- Texas (12-1, lost to Oklahoma)
- Alabama (12-1, lost to Texas)
Heading into the Conference Championship weekend, Georgia and Michigan were tied at +190 for the odds to win the NCAA Football Championship, followed by Oregon +500 in third, Texas at +900 in fourth, Alabama at +1000 in fifth and Washington at +1800 in sixth at sportsbook DraftKings Inc DKNG.
Before the start of the 2023 NCAA Football season, three of the four playoff teams were among the top 10 teams for betting odds, with Washington the lone team out. Alabama was the highest ranked team for betting odds to start the season at +600, followed by Michigan third at +750 and Texas tenth at +2200. Georgia had the best odds at the start of the season at +220.
College Football Playoff Betting Odds, TV Schedule: With the four teams picked, the playoff bracket is set.
The two semifinal games will be played on Jan. 1 and both games will air on ESPN, a unit of Walt Disney Co DIS. Here are the scheduled times and teams.
Jan. 1 Rose Bowl, 5 p.m. ET: 1 seed Michigan vs. 4 seed Alabama
Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl, 8:45 p.m. ET: 2 seed Washington vs. 3 seed Texas
The winners of the two games will meet in the Championship Game, set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 8, in a game that will also air on ESPN.
Here are the current betting odds from DraftKings.
Alabama +102 vs. Michigan -1.5 (-122 moneyline)
Texas -4.5 (-185 moneyline) vs. Washington (+154)
DraftKings also has hypothetical lines listed for the championship game, with the following:
Alabama -2.5 vs. Texas
Alabama -6 vs. Washington
Texas vs. Michigan -3
Washington vs. Michigan -6.5
The overall odds to win the NCAA Football Championship are currently the following, with the profit of a $100 bet on the team to win listed after:
Michigan +180, $180 profit
Alabama: +200, $200 profit
Texas: +260, $260 profit
Washington: +700, $700 profit
Bettors can place wagers on the teams in the semifinals, overall winner, the exact result in the championship game and predict the two finalists. Bettors can also bet on each team vs. the field, or the other three teams, or take the reverse of the field against any of the four teams in the playoff.
One bettor who will be eagerly awaiting the college football playoff is the person who wagered $205,500 on Alabama to win the championship game earlier this season at odds of +600. If Alabama wins the championship, the bettor would profit $1,233,000.
Alabama has won three championships in the College Football Playoff era over the past nine seasons. Head coach Nick Saban has seven national titles, counting his time at LSU and Alabama.
Photo: Shutterstock
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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