The back-to-back National Champion Georgia Bulldogs are on the brink of a dynasty as they attempt to complete the first three-peat since the 1930s. In order to do that, they’ll first need to make it into the College Football Playoff.
Although the selection committee has an imperfect and oftentimes confusing process of tapping the best four teams, betting on a team to make (or miss) the CFP can be a profitable and exciting future market.
With the playoff set to expand after this season, the landscape of college football is about to shift – for better or worse. So, let’s dive into the full odds to make the final four-team College Football Playoff.
Odds To Make 2024 College Football Playoff
Find CFP Playoff odds and the best NCAAF futures in our college football odds comparison tool:
These CFB odds are current as of Friday, July 14, and were found at DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Georgia (-250)
- Ohio State (-125)
- Michigan (+105)
- Alabama (+135)
- USC (+260)
- Florida State (+280)
- Penn State (+300)
- Clemson (+320)
- Texas (+320)
- LSU (+350)
- Notre Dame (+500)
Best Bets To Make CFP 2024
Georgia (-250)
Not ecstatic about laying this long of a price, but the back-to-back National Champions have shown no signs of slowing down.
The defense has been the best in the country for across the last half-decade. They’ll probably be even more talented at quarterback and will be as physical on both sides of the ball as anybody in the country.
With just about as easy of a schedule as you can possibly have in the SEC, the Bulldogs should have no trouble steaming through the regular season into the SEC Championship and then into the College Football Playoff bracket.
Michigan (+105)
Michigan is one of my favorite teams heading into the season. Since keying in on the run game behind a big and physical offensive line, the Wolverines have won back-to-back Big Ten Titles.
Not only do they return quarterback J.J. McCarthy and Blake Corum – arguably the best running back in the country last year - but they hit the portal hard to reload the offensive line and should be among the top units again this year.
Michigan gets Ohio State at home this season but will have to go on the road to an improved Penn State team. It’s almost a certainty that it comes down to those two contests as outside of that, this is among the easiest schedules in the country.
Clemson (+320)
It has been a rough three seasons for Clemson, at least by its standards, but this team is primed for a breakthrough in 2024.
Cade Klubnik – among my top Heisman Trophy contenders – will take over at quarterback after a disappointing couple of seasons from DJ Uiagalelei. Klubnik will have the benefit of an experienced and deep offensive line, star running back Will Shipley Jr., and a renovated offense under a top offensive mind Garrett Riley.
Clemson’s defense has consistently been among the best in the nation under Dabo Swinney, and it’ll return eight starters – including all four in the secondary – on defense. And the scheduling draw is superb; drawing Notre Dame, North Carolina, and Florida State at home.
Sleeper Bets To Make CFP 2024
USC (+260)
USC has arguably the top offensive mind in Lincoln Riley, and the reigning Heisman winner in Caleb Williams – he’s also atop the Heisman Trophy odds again this season. Last year, the Trojans had a huge amount of roster turnover due to Riley hitting the portal.
I expect them to settle in this year and make a run at their first CFP in school history.
The offense was arguably the best in the country last year and should pick up right where they left off with seven starters returning and filling holes through the portal on the offensive line. The defense needs to be improved, and it should be with nine starters coming back.
Road trips to Notre Dame and Oregon loom late in the season, and they’ll have to get over the hump with Utah after being swept in two games last season.
LSU (+350)
Brian Kelly didn’t take long to turn things around at LSU, leading the Tigers to a 10-win season in Year 1 at the helm. Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels was a resounding success and is expected to be among the top quarterbacks in the nation this season.
In total, LSU returns 15 starters and should take a step forward on both sides of the football.
LSU will need to get past Florida State in Week 1 – a revenge game after missing an extra point in the thrilling opener last season – and will have to head on the road to Alabama late in the year.
If you’re going to back a team from the SEC West to make the playoffs, you may as well get (+350) on the more experienced Tigers, rather than the question mark-littered Crimson Tide.
CFP 2024 Bets To Fade
Alabama (+135)
You generally don’t get rich betting against Alabama, but this Alabama team has major questions that need to be answered before I’m willing to put it among the elites.
The Tide have a relatively favorable schedule draw – they’ll play at home against Texas, LSU, and Tennessee – but as usual, the SEC is littered with landmines.
With a new quarterback under center, the loss of three offensive linemen, and countless vital pieces on the defensive side of the ball, the Tide will struggle to get things going and could miss the playoff for the second straight season.
Texas (+320)
Texas sits atop the Big 12 Conference odds and rightfully so as the Longhorns return 10 offensive starters – the one loss being superstar Bijan Robinson – on offense including highly touted Quinn Ewers.
Texas is no stranger to coming into the year with high expectations and has failed to live up to them almost exclusively in the last decade. Even assuming the defense continues to improve, and the offense is as advertised, the jump required to go from a good 8-5 team to a CFP qualifier is a massive leap in one offseason.
One of my two CFP fades is going to have a loss in early September, and I’m just not buying into the hype that Texas will steamroll through the Big 12 unscathed.
