And then there were four. That is precisely where we are in the College Football Playoff after several upsets and one Cinderella story that refuses to end. This week’s college football odds revolve around the quartet of teams still standing in the CFP.
Let’s review the early College Football Playoff odds for the two remaining games and share any insight we have gleaned.
NCAAF CFP Semifinal Odds At-a-glance
As we scan the live college football odds, we have our eyes on the prize.
Well, make that “prizes” because not only do we have No. 10 Miami battling No. 6 Ole Miss on Thursday, January 8th, but we also have another stellar matchup the following night when No. 5 Oregon takes on the No. 1 team in the nation, Indiana.
It doesn’t go without saying that had the CFP not expanded from four to a dozen teams, three of these four entries would not be competing this year.
With that, let’s review the CFP semifinal odds on the first of two games featuring the Hurricanes and the Rebels in Thursday’s Fiesta Bowl.
Miami Hurricanes vs. Ole Miss Rebels (+3.5)
As we review the college football odds on this Fiesta Bowl matchup, we must consider that Miami continues to defy the odds.
Entering the first round of the CFP as three-point underdogs to No. 7 Texas A&M, the Hurricanes’ defense came to play and put the clamps on the Aggies’ offense with a 10-3 victory. But the real test was little more than a week away when the Canes were expected to be cannon fodder for the formidable reigning national champs, the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The oddsmakers had installed Miami as eight-point underdogs, and many believed they would be double-digit losers by the end of the evening. However, the Canes shocked the world and came out on top, 24-14, and rewarded those who dared to back them on the moneyline with a +270 payday.
On the other end of the field, we have the Ole Miss Rebels, whose former head coach, Lane Kiffin, stole the spotlight when he abandoned the team he brought to the CFP by taking the head coaching position with LSU.
However, the Rebels have responded well with new head coach Pete Golding at the helm. Ole Miss thrashed Tulane, 41-10, in the first round, easily covering as 17-point chalk. But it was the Rebels’ second-round performance on New Year’s Day that made everyone sit up and take notice when they defeated the Georgia Bulldogs, 39-34, and covered as six-point underdogs.
This is setting up as a sensational semifinal matchup in which the early lines are showing Miami as a 3 ½ point favorite, which is already up half a click from Miami -3 with a 51 ½ point total that has remained stagnant.
Oregon Ducks vs. Indiana Hoosiers (-4)
All eyes will be on the Peach Bowl on Friday night as the Oregon Ducks take on the invincible Indiana Hoosiers. Indiana has been historically known as a basketball school, but under head coach Curt Cignetti, this football team has gone from the outhouse to the penthouse in just two years.
Indiana ended with a perfect 13-0 mark, including a shocking Big Ten title victory over the previously unstoppable Ohio State. The Hoosiers would get the luxury of a first-round bye in the CFP by virtue of their No. 1 seeding before they eviscerated Alabama, 38-3, in the second round, propelling them to a date with the Ducks in the semifinals.
However, Oregon will be no pushover, considering they went 11-1 in the regular season and rolled over James Madison, 51-34, in the first round of the CFP before blanking No. 4 Texas Tech, 23-0, in the quarterfinal round.
However, it is important to note that the only blemish on Oregon’s record this season was a 30-20 loss to Indiana on October 11th.
The opening CFP odds on this matchup haven’t moved since the oddsmakers installed the Hoosiers as 4-point favorites, while the total has also remained steady at 47 ½. However, it wouldn’t surprise us if we saw an influx of public money on the favorite as kickoff approaches.
What We’ve Covered and Next Steps
The CFP semifinal college football odds posted today on Miami vs. Ole Miss and Oregon vs. Indiana will not stay stagnant forever. Odds, point spreads, and totals are dynamic, which means the moneylines and point spreads you see here may not be around by gametime at the reputable sportsbooks.Â
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*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
