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college football

College Football Playoff odds update: The bracket is set

Profile Picture: Jeremy Jones

December 9th, 2019

The college football regular season is officially complete, and it is finally bowl season. Normally we have some controversy about who is in and who is out of the College Football Playoff. This year that was not the case, and almost everyone can agree we have four deserving teams playing for it all this year. The only real controversy was who deserved to be the No. 1 seed.

The odds are indicative of this sentiment, as three of the four teams in the CFP are extremely close to each other in odds to win it all. You can see the odds and place your wager on who will win it all here on BetAmerica.

Here are the matchups and game odds for the two College Football Playoff semifinals scheduled for December 28.

Peach Bowl: #4 Oklahoma vs. #1 LSU (-12.5), 4 p.m. ET, ESPN

The LSU Tigers won the argument over who deserved to be the No. 1 seed. After a dominating performance over No. 4 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, the committee had to move the Tigers to No. 1, over fellow undefeated teams Clemson and Ohio State.
Now the Tigers get to play closer to home in Atlanta (where they just beat Georgia) and will face the easiest opponent of the four teams. However, Oklahoma is no pushover. The Sooners will make their fourth appearance in a CFP semifinal but are still seeking their first win, while this is LSU's first CFP appearance. Oklahoma also has quarterback Jalen Hurts running the team, and this will be his fourth playoff appearance in his four-year career (his previous three were with Alabama).
I expect this game to feature a boatload of scoring, as both offenses have Heisman candidate quarterbacks running the show. These are the top two offenses in the country in yards per game (LSU leads Oklahoma by 0.2 yards per game). LSU is also third in the nation in points per game, while Oklahoma is seventh. The defenses are also similar in numbers, as both rank around the same in yards per game and points per game.

The big difference is turnover margin. LSU is tied for 16th in the nation with a +8 turnover margin, while Oklahoma ranks tied for 100th with a -7 turnover margin. If the Sooners cannot hold on to the football, they will find themselves in a hole they cannot dig out of.

Fiesta Bowl: #3 Clemson (-2) vs. #2 Ohio State, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

Ohio State's struggles early in the Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin likely dropped the Buckeyes to No. 2. Now they'll have to face the defending champions in Arizona. Clemson has felt disrespected all season, even though it has to dominated nearly opponent.
However, Clemson does have the respect of the oddsmakers, as they are favored in this semifinal. The Tigers are third in the nation in offensive yards per game, while Ohio State is fifth. The Clemson offense is fourth in points per game, while the Ohio State offense leads the nation in that category.

But these two teams are not just about offense. They also rank No. 1 (Clemson) and No. 2 (Ohio State) in yards allowed per game and No. 1 (Clemson) and No. 3 (Ohio State) in points allowed per game. The difference between these two teams is minuscule and should provide us with one of the most entertaining games of the season.

Picks

In the Peach Bowl, I like LSU. The Tigers have too much firepower for the Sooners. I believe Oklahoma will hang with the Tigers until the fourth quarter, but ultimately LSU will win by double digits.
In the Fiesta Bowl, I predict a multi-overtime game, but the championship prowess of quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Clemson will prevail in the end.
In the championship game, I expect another close game. LSU has been my selection to win it all ever since they defeated Alabama, and nothing has changed my mind since then. Give me the LSU Tigers at +150 to win it all.




Who do you think will win the College Football Playoff semifinal games? Bet your opinion at BetAmerica!

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