College Football Playoff Chaos Offers Attractive Betting Lines

There s Nick Saban s Alabama and then everyone else, as the 2016 College Football Playoff bracket is expected to come down to the final regular season snap. (Image: The Sun Photo/lapresse.ca)

The College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings are out for the third time this season, but aside from undefeated Alabama at #1, the all-important top four spots remain largely in limbo heading into week 12 of the NCAA season.

The CFP, which replaced the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 2014, consists of a 12-person selection committee chaired by Texas Tech University Athletics Director Kirby Hocutt.

The committee s most recent rankings has Alabama (10-0) followed by Ohio State (9-1), Michigan (9-1), and Clemson (9-1). But two additional one-loss teams in major power conferences remain. Louisville out of the ACC and Washington from the Pac-12 trail closely in fifth and sixth.

Combine that with the fact that Ohio State and Michigan play each other on November 24, and it s easy to see why the CFP bracket is predominantly still written in pencil.

Wisconsin (8-2), Penn State (8-2), Oklahoma (8-2), and Colorado (8-2) round out the top ten.

Bearish on Wolverines

Following a weekend of upsets, there are a handful of teams that can theoretically win the College Football Playoff National Championship on January 9. But , as always, has chosen its favorites.

The Westgate SuperBook has Alabama at 5/7 and Ohio State at 2/1. The two favorites are followed by Louisville (6/1), Clemson (12/1), Wisconsin (15/1) and Michigan at a perhaps surprising 20/1.

Michigan seemed to be the best foe to Alabama s title defense heading into last weekend. But a loss to an unranked Iowa team that was destroyed by Penn State a week earlier has quickly turned Vegas into a non-believer on the Wolverines.

That s likely because Michigan travels to Columbus for its matchup against the Buckeyes.

Bovada isn t quite so convinced. Though the online sportsbook also has Alabama as the National Championship favorite (EVEN) and Ohio State (+250) and Louisville (+750) next, Bovada lists Michigan and Clemson both at +1000. Wisconsin is at +2000.

Pigs in a Blanket

The top four big dogs have relatively easy Saturdays this weekend as all four take on unranked programs.

Alabama plays Chattanooga, a team that competes in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA). The Tide is so heavily favored that sportsbooks aren t even offering a line to bettors.

Ohio State plays Michigan Sate (3-7) and is favored by 22.5 points. The Spartans are one of the bigger disappointments in college football this year after being ranked #12 in the Associated Press preseason poll.

Michigan plays a 5-5 Indiana team that is sneaky strong on defense. Though the Wolverines are still favored by 23.5, the game might be a tad closer than some expect.

Finally, Clemson travels to Winston-Salem to play Wake Forest (6-4). The Tigers are 22.5-point favorites.

Unless a monumental upset occurs on Saturday, the rankings will likely look identical to this week s lineup. That means bettors have more than a week to place their wagers before the wild week 13 kicks off on November 26.

In addition to the marquee Michigan and Ohio State game, Alabama plays #15 Auburn (7-3) and Clemson takes on South Carolina (5-5). Both Auburn and South Carolina are respective rivals of Alabama and Clemson.