From 2014-2023, the college football playoff used a four-team bracket to decide the National Champion. That left dozens of teams out each year that believed they could battle to win it all. For the first time in the 2024 season, the college football playoffs have expanded to a 12-team bracket. Eight more teams will have an opportunity to be the last team standing when it’s all said and done.
With the 12-team playoff starting on December 20, sportsbooks nationwide are preparing for an increase in wagers. In the last decade, playoff bowl games have been hit or miss. There was a national semi-final and then the national championship in the four-team format. The top-four ranked conference champions have a bye in the first round of the 12-team playoff. Sportsbooks are bracing for what they expect to be heavy wagering on the college football playoffs in 2024-25.
What college football playoff games are being wagered the most in the U.S.?
Per BetMGM, the #9 Tennessee Volunteers @ #8 Ohio State is the most-bet first-round matchup on their sportsbook. Both teams finished 10-2 this season in their respective conferences. Tennessee lost to Arkansas and Georgia. Ohio State lost to Oregon and Michigan. Ryan Day and the Buckeyes are 7.5-point favorites vs. the Volunteers. Throughout the 2024 season, Ohio State and Tennessee were carried at times by their strong defenses. The O/U for this game is 47.5 points.
The #10 Indiana Hoosiers @ #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish is the second-most bet first-round game according to BetMGM. This is an in-state rivalry that should add another layer of intensity to the game. Indiana and Notre Dame finished 11-1 in 2024. The Fighting Irish lost early in the season to Northern Illinois but then won 10 straight games. First-year Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti started the season 10-0 and their only loss came to Ohio State. BetMGM has the Hoosiers as 7.5-point underdogs against Notre Dame. This game will happen at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, December 20.
BetMGM’s third-highest-ranked first-round matchup of the 2024-25 college football playoff is #11 SMU Mustangs @ #6 Penn State Nittany Lions. SMU and Penn State each finished 11-2 this season and their second losses came in their respective Conference Championships. The Nittany Lions are favored by nine points at home vs. SMU in their first year of ACC play. This is a massive game for James Franklin and his team who have a favorable draw in the playoff bracket. The winner of this matchup would get to play #3 Boise State in the quarter-finals.
