College Football Playoff 2019-20: Updated Odds, Predictions Against the Spread

It's the most exciting time of the college football season. The only bad part? The near-three weeks of anticipation.

The four-team College Football Playoff field has been set after LSU, Ohio State and Clemson each won its respective conference championship to secure the top three seeds, while Oklahoma won the Big 12 championship and surged ahead of several other contenders to take the final spot.

LSU and Oklahoma will face off in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, while Ohio State and Clemson will go head-to-head in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz.

Here is a look at the spreads and predictions for the two semifinal games scheduled for Dec. 28.

Peach Bowl Spread and Predictions

John Bazemore/Associated Press

LSU has been a big betting favorite a lot this season, and that's again the case for its Peach Bowl matchup against Oklahoma. The No. 1-seeded Tigers are a 13-point favorite (per Caesars) against the No. 4-seeded Sooners.

Ranked No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings heading into the weekend, LSU took the top spot in the final rankings after its impressive 37-10 victory over Georgia in Saturday's SEC Championship Game. It was the first time the Tigers won the SEC title since 2011.

LSU has been fueled by its dynamic offense, which is led by Heisman Trophy contender Joe Burrow at quarterback. He has passed for 4,715 yards and 48 touchdowns in 13 games this season, both of which are SEC records.

But if there's any offense in the country that might be able to keep up with LSU, it could be Oklahoma. The Sooners play in the Big 12, which is known for a lot of points, and they've scored 30 or more points in 12 of their 13 games.

LSU's defense will be trying to stop a familiar foe—quarterback Jalen Hurts. Before transferring to Oklahoma prior to the season, he played at Alabama from 2016-18. During that time, he played the Tigers twice, leading the Crimson Tide to victory both times.

However, the 21-year-old hasn't played against LSU since Nov. 4, 2017, and this year's Tigers team is much better than that one.

Although this is LSU's first appearance in the College Football Playoff, it should be well-prepared for the big-time matchup. The Tigers have played a difficult schedule this season, which included victories over Alabama, Auburn, Florida and Georgia.

That experience should help LSU extend its dominant season for one more game, and the Tigers will take care of business against Oklahoma. Expect Burrow to continue his impressive year by putting up some big numbers against a Sooners defense that ranks 24th in the nation in passing defense.

While Oklahoma should keep it competitive early, LSU will be too strong to overcome and will put the game away in the second half with some key touchdowns.

Prediction: LSU 37, Oklahoma 27

Fiesta Bowl Spread and Predictions

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

The betting line for this CFP semifinal is much closer than the other matchup, with No. 3-seeded Clemson a 1.5-point favorite (per Caesars) over No. 2-seeded Ohio State.

That number may be in the Tigers' favor because of their past College Football Playoff success. They're in the playoff for the fifth consecutive season, and they've won the national championship in two of the past three.

This year, Clemson has been on cruise control for most of the season as it rolled through its ACC schedule. Its only near loss was a 21-20 win at North Carolina on Sept. 28. That was the only time it allowed more than 17 points in a game this season. And the only other time it allowed more than 14 was the 62-17 win over Virginia in Saturday's ACC Championship Game.

It will be interesting to see how Clemson performs in the Fiesta Bowl, its first real challenging game of the season. And it'll certainly be a difficult matchup.

Like Clemson, Ohio State is 13-0, but it had to navigate a challenging Big Ten schedule. In the past three weeks, the Buckeyes have notched victories over a trio of solid teams: Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin. They beat the Badgers 34-21 in Saturday's Big Ten Championship Game.

This CFP semifinal is also a matchup featuring two strong quarterbacks. Justin Fields has passed for 2,953 yards, 40 touchdowns and only one interception, while also rushing for 10 scores, in his first season at Ohio State. Clemson's Trevor Lawrence, who led the Tigers to last year's national title, has passed for 3,172 yards and 34 touchdowns.

But this game may be determined by the play on the other side of the ball. Clemson and Ohio State are Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in the country in total defense this season. The Tigers have allowed 244.7 yards per game, while the Buckeyes are allowing 247.6 yards per game.

The winner of this game will likely be determined by which offense can break through early and put some pressure on the other team to play well against its opponent's top defense.

Although Clemson has recent playoff success on its side, it just hasn't been tested enough this season. Plus, Ohio State is too talented on both sides of the ball for the Tigers to match up well against the Buckeyes.

Expect Fields to lead an early touchdown drive to get momentum in Ohio State's favor, as the Buckeyes will hold on late to advance to the National Championship Game.

Prediction: Ohio State 24, Clemson 17