The second year of the 12-team College Football Playoff kicks off Friday night between Alabama and Oklahoma, followed by three more Saturday games to grab bettors’ attention during a busy sports weekend.
Key Takeaways
- The second year of the College Football Playoff is expected to induce more betting interest.
- Alabama has been a popular pick for Friday, but Oklahoma is getting action at DraftKings.
- Miami-Texas A&M highlights Saturday’s three-game slate.
With more familiarity with the system and several high-profile teams taking the stage in the first round, DraftKings Sportsbook director Johnny Avello says the betting handle should rise compared to last year.
“For a couple of reasons, one more jurisdiction, just added Missouri recently, more players on the platform,” Avello said. “And I think with the second year of the 12 teams, more people have a better feel for it now. Even though they were excited for it last year, they’re even more excited for it this year.”
| Game | DraftKings Splits | BetMGM Splits | theScore Bet splits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama at Oklahoma (-1.5) | Okla 50% bets Bama 62% handle |
Bama 56% bets Bama 67% handle |
Bama 65% bets Bama 76% handle |
| Miami at Texas A&M (-3.5) | A&M 65% bets Miami 68% handle |
A&M 64% bets A&M 59% handle |
Miami 52% bets Miami 68% handle |
| Tulane at Ole Miss (-17.5) | Miss 62% bets Miss 66% handle |
Miss 59% bets Miss 74% handle |
Miss 66% bets Miss 87% handle |
| JMU at Oregon (-21) | Ore 75% bets JMU 51% handle |
Ore 78% bets Ore 80% handle |
Ore 67% bets Ore 71% handle |
Top billing
The enthusiasm begins with the most-bet game of the four-contest slate. An SEC rematch being the only college football game Friday night and no NFL to compete with is going to help this be the most popular playoff game for bettors this weekend.
The No. 9 Crimson Tide opened as favorites at DraftKings, but the No. 8 Sooners, who won the regular-season meeting 23-21, are currently -1.5 at home.
“We were seeing Alabama money early, but it’s been all Oklahoma as of late,” Avello said. “Alabama has struggled offensively in a few games as of late. That’s the reason for the move there.”
DraftKings reported Friday afternoon that the tickets are split evenly, but Alabama still leads with 62% of the money.
The Crimson Tide have seen 56% of the bets and 67% of the money, while theScore Bet has also seen a lean toward the underdogs.
Over 40.5 is the most popular total at BetMGM, while Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer (+140) is seeing the most anytime touchdown scorer action.
One-sided Saturday?
Even though the playoff is going up against two NFL games, the highlight of Saturday appears on paper and at sportsbooks to be No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M because the other two games have massive spreads. No. 6 Ole Miss is listed as a 17.5-point favorite over No. 11 Tulane in the second game of the day, while No. 5 Oregon is favored by three touchdowns over No. 12 James Madison.
“We’re seeing one-sided action,” Avello said. “We’re seeing heavy to the chalk in those games. When you've got these big spreads like this, who’s gonna lay those big moneyline prices?”
The Rebels are getting 65% of the handle at DraftKings, while BetMGM reported 74% of the money, and the majority of the tickets are coming in on the home favorites.
The Ducks are the second most-bet playoff team at BetMGM, which, like theScore Bet, has seen the most action and the majority of the handle. DraftKings has actually taken slightly more money on James Madison, but Oregon is getting 75% of the bets.
Texas A&M (-3) has taken a lot of the spread money and wagers, but Miami is the most popular underdog this week with odds of +140. BetMGM customers also like the under 48.5.
“That one also is gonna see a ton of action,” Avello said.
Road to Miami
The top four seeds in the playoff - Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas Tech - get the first round off and will await this weekend’s winners.
The No. 2 Buckeyes are the favorites to win the national title in Miami at FanDuel with odds of +200. The No. 1 Hoosiers, who beat Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game, are +310, followed by No. 3 Georgia at +550. The online sportsbook lists Oregon at +750, No. 4 Texas Tech at +850, and Texas A&M at +2,000.
Tulane and James Madison both have odds of +750,000 to run the table from the bottom of the bracket.
