College Football Bowl Odds 2024-25: Betting Tips for Quarterfinal Playoff Bracket
The College Football Playoff quarterfinals feature two lopsided point spreads and two of less than three points.
The disparity in betting numbers comes from the seeding process that put the Boise State Broncos at No. 3 and the Arizona State Sun Devils at No. 4.
The Penn State Nittany Lions and Texas Longhorns are both massive double-digit favorites, and while those numbers seem big, there are paths to cover for both sides.
Closer contests are expected in the Rose and Sugar Bowls, where four of the most notable teams in the FBS do battle with each other.
The Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks will meet for the second time, but this time around, the number is in favor of Ryan Day's side.
A quarterback change for the Georgia Bulldogs could affect the Sugar Bowl matchup with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but for now, UGA is a slight favorite.
No. 6 Penn State (-11) vs. No. 3 Boise State
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Penn State is receiving the respect as a power-conference team taking on a Group of Five foe with the 11-point spread in its favor.
The Nittany Lions are coming off a 28-point home victory against the SMU Mustangs in the first round. James Franklin's side picked up nine of its 12 wins by 14 points or more.
That's not exactly the best sign for Boise State, but the Broncos did push Oregon for four quarters back in September.
The 37-34 loss to the top-seeded Ducks is the result that Boise State backers will point to when discussing the Mountain West team's prospects of covering the spread.
The matchup comes down to whether or not Ashton Jeanty can find success against a Penn State rushing defense that allows only 100.4 yards per game.
If the Heisman Trophy runner-up is effective, the Broncos can at least be competitive at the Fiesta Bowl.
Since Jeanty played so well in 2024, the Boise State passing attack hasn't been asked to do much. Quarterback Maddux Madsen eclipsed the 200-yard mark in six of 13 games.
Penn State's offense is far more well-rounded. Drew Allar is arguably one of the top-two quarterbacks left in the playoff field, Tyler Warren will likely be the first tight end chosen in the 2025 NFL draft and the running back tandem of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen can wear down any defense.
Singleton and Allen combined for 160 rushing yards against SMU. Their effectiveness in keeping the ball away from Jeanty and the Boise offense could be the biggest key for the Nittany Lions.
Betting the under at 53 could be the way to go because there should be plenty of rushing attempts on each side, and if Penn State contains Jeanty, Boise will have to work for points on extended possessions.
No. 5 Texas (-13) vs. No. 4 Arizona State
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Arizona State has the feel of the big underdog more likely to cover than Boise State.
The Sun Devils proved their worth time after time in Big 12 play. They went 4-2 against the spread as an underdog and won all four of those games outright.
ASU's bruising rushing attack, led by Cam Skattebo, has to find a way to break down the Texas defense that allows 104.5 rushing yards per game.
Texas only allowed 76 rushing yards in the first round, but its defense was gashed for 336 passing yards by Cade Klubnik.
Sam Leavitt comes into the Peach Bowl with four straight 200-yard passing performances. He has turned into a solid complement to Skattebo.
The Sun Devils' balanced approach can test the Longhorns, and if they score 20-25 points, they will be in great shape to cover.
Texas' offense has been inconsistent at times. It produced 20 points or less in three of its four games prior to the playoff.
Texas is 6-3 as a favorite of 13 points or more this season, but it is 1-4 ATS when it scored fewer than 30 points.
The under on the total of 51.5 is worth a look in this game as well since Texas is only 4-8-2 to the over.
No. 8 Ohio State (-2.5) vs. No. 1 Oregon
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Ohio State's favorite status might be questioned by some because it lost to Oregon already this season.
However, the Buckeyes come into Rose Bowl off their most complete performance of the season.
Ryan Day built his program in the offseason to be a national title contender and that was on display in the 42-17 win over the Tennessee Volunteers.
If they play at that level, the Buckeyes can compete with anyone, which is why they can be justified as the favorite.
Oregon, though, has not displayed many flaws all season. The Ducks passed their two biggest tests at home against Ohio State and in the Big Ten Championship Game versus Penn State.
Dillon Gabriel and Co. put up 77 points in those two games. The quarterback's second-best passing game of the season came against the Buckeyes on October 12.
If anything, the first Buckeyes-Ducks meeting suggests that a ton of points will be scored, which is why the over 55.5 might be the best bet of them all.
Ohio State might warrant favorite status after its first-round win, but getting undefeated Oregon as an underdog might be too good to pass up.
No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Georgia (-1)
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Georgia is a slight favorite despite not having quarterback Carson Beck available for the Sugar Bowl.
Backup Gunner Stockton, who played in the second half of the SEC Championship Game, will start against Notre Dame.
Georgia's offense was inconsistent at times with Beck at the helm, and while it looked better with Stockton a few weeks ago, that is still a small sample size to base the Sugar Bowl performance off of.
Defensively, UGA let up its share of points, most notably a 41-point concession to the Alabama Crimson Tide and 28 points from the Ole Miss Rebels on November 9.
Notre Dame has been one of the most consistent teams in the FBS since its Week 2 loss to the Northern Illinois Huskies.
Marcus Freeman's team is on a run of eight consecutive double-digit wins. Its allowed over 20 points just twice and only once has the Irish scored less than 20.
Georgia might have the edge in playoff experience, but Notre Dame, at least on paper, is the more reliable team to trust in New Orleans.
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