Tigers, Buckeyes Heavily Favored To Make College Football Playoff

BetOnline has released odds to make the College Football Playoff, which is a different type of future rather than picking a team to win it all. The four teams which figure to make the next College Football Playoff are familiar faces, which should not surprise anyone. Is there good value betting any of these squads?

CLEMSON TIGERS

ODDS: -200

The gulf in quality between Clemson and the other 13 teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference figures to be as large this upcoming season as it was in 2019. Clemson is the most obvious choice on the board to return to the College Football Playoff. The Tigers are still head and shoulders above the rest of their conference, to an extent not matched by any other favorite in any of the other Power Five conferences who get first dibs at a playoff spot. There is no real threat to Clemson in the ACC Atlantic Division. Florida State is not going to be ready to challenge the Tigers this next season. Either North Carolina or Virginia Tech might be able to give Clemson a challenge in the ACC Championship Game, but that’s one threatening game the Tigers might have to play. With only one severe test in the regular season, Clemson’s odds of being denied a playoff berth are strikingly small.

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES

ODDS: -150

The Buckeyes will still have Justin Fields at quarterback after a 2019 season in which he scored over 50 total touchdowns and threw only one regular-season interception. However, they will lose pass rusher Chase Young. OSU’s defense will not have the hugely disruptive force Young was, so the Buckeyes might be slightly more vulnerable on that side of the ball. Running back J.K. Dobbins will also be gone. The Buckeyes will need to replace his production. Yet, even with those two departures and a few other high-profile losses such as cornerback Jeff Okudah, Ohio State has the continuity at quarterback and other important positions to remain on top of the Big Ten. Penn State hosts Ohio State next season. That is the huge test the Buckeyes need to pass. The Buckeyes beat PSU by 11 points this past season, but they did so at home. On the road, OSU faces a tougher test. The Buckeyes committed multiple turnovers against Penn State this past season; as long as they take care of the ball, they should be able to get past the Nittany Lions and win the Big Ten, which would likely put them back in the playoff.

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
ODDS: -125

The Crimson Tide love the fact that Joe Burrow will be in the NFL, and that LSU lost over a dozen NFL Draft prospects in the offseason. The Tigers also watched defensive coordinator Dave Aranda take the open head coaching job at Baylor. LSU also lost passing game coordinator Joe Brady, who went to the Carolina Panthers to become their offensive coordinator. It’s not so much a matter of whether Alabama is better this season than it was last year; the biggest key is that LSU lost a mountain of resources and talent. That alone should put Alabama in first place in the SEC, in prime position to make the playoff. A key note about Alabama: The Crimson Tide had terrible injury luck in 2019 – not just Tua Tagovailoa, but a lot of their defense. If that luck improves in 2020, Alabama should win the SEC. The Crimson Tide lacked depth last year; they should be able to showcase a lot more depth in the coming season.

OKLAHOMA SOONERS
ODDS: +125

The Sooners are the one team on this list which faces real questions about returning to the playoff. The quarterback situation was the last thing Oklahoma had to worry about the past four seasons: Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts gave OU tremendous production and leadership. Now, a truly untested quarterback, Spencer Rattler, will pilot the offense. Rattler might be moderately good, but Oklahoma has needed great quarterbacking – A-grade performances – to win the Big 12. If Rattler merely offers a B-plus, Texas could swoop in and take over the conference, or maybe Baylor.

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