- Notre Dame is a 7.5-point favorite over Indiana.
- Penn State has -115 odds to cover a -9-point spread against SMU.
- There is an 11-point spread in favor of Texas vs. Clemson.
- Tennessee has -115 odds to cover +7.5 points at Ohio State.
ATLANTA – The College Football Playoff bracket is set and the first round of the playoffs on college campuses is set with betting lines. There are four first-round games that will take place and the lines are open early where they could potentially shift prior to kick off.
Indiana Vs. Notre Dame
- Moneyline: Indiana (+260) vs Notre Dame (-320)
- Spread: Notre Dame -7.5
- Total: 50.5
An in state battle in Indiana is set to take place between Notre Dame and Indiana where college football prop sites are in favor of the Fighting Irish. The winner of this game will move on to the quarterfinals and take on the #2 seed in the playoffs, Georgia Bulldogs.
Indiana and Notre Dame have faced off a total of 29 times in history; however, they last faced off back in 1991. Still, Notre Dame leads the series by a large margin of 23-5-1.
SMU Vs. Penn State
- Moneyline: SMU (+290) vs Penn State (-380)
- Spread: Penn State -9
- Total: 54
Here, #11 SMU and #6 Penn State face off where the winner moves on to take on the Group of 5 Champion, Boise State. Penn State is a heavy favorite in this one at home where they are 6-1 straight up this season. Penn State and SMU have faced off twice in history with their last meeting in 1978. Penn State leads the series 1-0-1.
In recent years, SMU has played poorly on the road against Big 10 schools. Since 2018, they’ve played both Maryland and Michigan on the road where they went 0-2 outright and 1-1 against the spread.
Clemson Vs. Texas
- Moneyline: Clemson (+335) vs Texas (-450)
- Spread: Texas -11
- Total: 52
In a homecoming for Cade Klubnik, #12 Clemson will be on the road as an underdog on college football sportsbooks against #5 Texas. This is the first ever meeting between the two programs and Texas is currently listed as the strongest favorite of all the first-round playoff games.
Historically, excluding their annual rivalry with South Carolina, Clemson has held their own when playing on the road against an SEC opponent. In their last three road games against an SEC opponent, they’ve gone 2-1 straight up.
Texas, on the other hand, has dominated when playing at home as a double digit favorite in recent seasons. Since 2023, they’ve gone 11-0 straight up and 8-3 against the spread in that position.
Tennessee Vs. Ohio State
- Moneyline: Tennessee (+240) vs Ohio State (-290)
- Spread: Ohio State -7.5
- Total: 48
In just the second meeting between #9 Tennessee and #8 Ohio State, the Buckeyes are a larger favorite at home despite this being an evenly matched game. Tennessee won their only meeting, which was the 1996 Florida Citrus Bowl.
All of Tennessee’s previous matchups against a Big 10 opponents since 2002 have all come in a bowl game. They’ve gone 7-2 outright and 6-3 against the spread in those games. On the contrary, since 2005, Tennessee has been a road underdog between 7-8 points four times and have gone 0-4 S/U and 1-3 ATS in those games.
This matchup for Ohio State is a nightmare as they have struggled significantly against the SEC in the last three years. They’ve gone 0-3 S/U and 1-2 ATS in their last three meeting against the conference. They make up for it when it comes to playing at home as a 7-8 point favorite at home having gone 6-2 S/U and 5-3 ATS in their last eight games.
