Undefeated Oregon was placed atop the first College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday night, ahead of an Ohio State team that’s second and lost to the Ducks earlier this season.
The sports betting markets, however, see things differently than the committee that chooses rankings and seedings, which vary from the rankings, for a first-ever 12-team playoff that will decide the national champion.
Major sports betting operators have the Buckeyes listed as the favorite to win it all in their college football national championship odds.
Ohio State is also a major liability at sportsbooks, showing how much bettors value the No. 2 team more than any other.
The Buckeyes went from +450 to +350 at BetMGM following their big win over previously undefeated Penn State last Saturday. Ohio State has the highest ticket (14.2) and handle (18.5) percentages, making Ryan Day’s team the biggest liability at the online sportsbook.
ESPN BET reported before the rankings release that 18.7% of the national title market’s handle and 16% of the bets were on Ohio State (+340).
Bettors at DraftKings have gotten the Buckeyes all the way down to +330 while 27% handle and 25% bets are on the favorite.
Other contenders
BetMGM has Oregon listed third at +400 in the national title market while DraftKings has the team tied with Georgia for second at +425.
Around 6% of the bets and 6% of the handle are currently backing the Ducks at all three sportsbooks.
Georgia, which is listed second at BetMGM with odds of +400, fell behind Ohio State at No. 3 in the CFP rankings despite being third in The Associated Press Top 25.
That’s not a major difference, but the Bulldogs’ odds shifted from +325 in Week 10 to +400 following a win over Florida and Ohio State’s big victory. Georgia is second at 16.9% of the handle at BetMGM while DraftKings reported that the SEC power is tied with Ohio State at 25% of the tickets.
Don’t forget about Texas. The Longhorns were ranked fifth in the CFP release, but they’re listed fourth at BetMGM with odds of +550.
Texas is near the top in ticket count, getting around 11% at all three sportsbooks. ESPN BET reported the highest Longhorn handle at 15%.
No surprises
There wasn’t much drama in Tuesday’s unveiling, and that’s good for oddsmakers.
ESPN reported no significant odds changes at ESPN BET following the release of the first playoff rankings.
A BetMGM spokesperson told Covers on Tuesday that no line moves were expected there unless a major surprise came near the top.
“For example, Colorado is currently ranked in the Top 25 by other polls but if the CFP rankings had them top 10, then the odds would be adjusted,” the spokesperson said on behalf of the BetMGM trader team.
That didn’t happen. Colorado came in at No. 20, just a spot higher than its current Associated Press ranking. The Buffaloes are the third-biggest liability for BetMGM.
Currently at +15,000 to win the national title at the online sportsbook, Colorado is getting 2.4% of the bets, 13th most, and 2.3% of the handle.
They aren’t listed in the top 10 splits at either DraftKings or ESPN BET.
Moving on up
Miami is one of the most interesting teams vying for a playoff spot and the national title. The CFP committee placed the undefeated Hurricanes at No. 4 in the initial release, but Miami (+1,200) has only seen 2% of the tickets and 2% of the money at DraftKings.
BetMGM has the Canes listed at +1,100, jumping up from +1,800 odds in Week 10, and has reported higher action with Miami getting 3.5% of the bets and 8.4% of the handle.
Indiana has been a major surprise in college football this season, posting a perfect 9-0 record and starting off ranked eighth by the CFP committee. The Hoosiers opened the season at +50,000 to win the national title at BetMGM and have moved to +3,500 following their easy win over Michigan State last week. Indiana is getting 3.3% of the bets and 3.7% of the money.
Odds and ends
Oddsmakers are keeping a close eye on Tennessee. The Vols are sitting seventh in the CFP rankings and are BetMGM’s second-highest liability behind the Buckeyes.
At +1,800, Tennessee is getting 7.7% of the wagers, fourth-most in the market, and 6.1% of the handle. At DraftKings, the Vols are +1,500 and own a lesser 4% of the tickets. ESPN BET has seen 6.6% of the handle come in on Tennessee.
Two-loss Alabama wasn’t in the top 10 in the CFP rankings, but the Crimson Tide (+1,800) still hold the sixth-most tickets and handle at 6.2% each at BetMGM. No. 16 Ole Miss (+3,500), another popular preseason pick in the market, is in a similar boat with 3.3% of the wagers and 3.7% of the handle. Another loss for either team and sportsbooks can likely call those wins for the house.
BYU, which is ranked ninth in the CFP rankings, has odds of +10,000 in the national championship market at BetMGM and FanDuel. The Cougars are listed at +9,000 at DraftKings and +7,500 at ESPN BET.
