2025 College Football Playoff Odds: Georgia, Ohio State, Texas Open as Favorites

With the new 12-team format looming, several major programs are in contention for the 2025 College Football Playoff, with the Georgia Bulldogs and Ohio State Buckeyes sitting with the shortest odds from our best college football betting sites.

It's a new era in the ever-changing world of college football with the 2024-25 season being the official start of the new College Football Playoff. As the sport moves from four playoff teams to 12, many of the biggest programs in the country are expected to be playing meaningful football in late December.

As several cornerstones of the title-winning Michigan Wolverines make the leap to the NFL, including head coach Jim Harbaugh and QB J.J. McCarthy, the defending champs have the eighth-shortest odds to make the playoff. Instead, it's Georgia and Ohio State leading the way, the two programs atop the College Football Championship odds.

Right there with them are Texas and Oregon, both of which have QBs among the Heisman Trophy odds favorites, while a team like Colorado is nowhere to be seen, despite Shedeur Sanders being the favorite to go No. 1 by the 2025 NFL Draft odds.

Here is our look at the 2025 College Football Playoff market (college football odds via our best sports betting apps).

2025 College Football Playoff odds

(Odds updated April 29)

Favorites to make the 2025 College Football Playoff

Georgia (-500 via FanDuel)

Since Kirby Smart took over as Georgia's head coach in 2016, the Bulldogs have made the College Football Playoff three times and taken home the title twice. It'll only be easier for the most dominant program in the sport to reach the playoff now with the expansion to 12 teams.

In Smart's eight years as the shotcaller in Athens, Georgia has finished in the top 12 of the final College Football Playoff rankings seven times - the Bulldogs missed the top 12 in only his first season. So, theoretically, if the 12-team playoff had existed for his entire tenure, Georgia would have made seven straight. 

The Bulldogs are once again loaded with talent on both sides of the football, led by QB Carson Beck and pass rusher Mykel Williams. Smart is positioned well to win his third championship in four years.

Ohio State (-500 via FanDuel)

While Ohio State hasn't won the Big Ten under head coach Ryan Day since 2020, the Buckeyes have consistently been in the conversation for his entire tenure. If not for Michigan, Ohio State would have made the College Football Playoff this past season, and two years ago they nearly knocked off Georgia, the eventual champs, in the playoff.

Day has never finished worse than seventh in the final College Football Playoff rankings and while he lost stars like Marvin Harrison Jr. to the NFL, the Buckeyes return key pieces and loaded up in the transfer portal. Ohio State brought back potential first-round picks Emeka Egbuka, J.T. Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer, and Denzel Burke.

Day also managed to land freshman All-American Caleb Downs from Alabama, All-SEC running back Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss, and Kansas State QB Will Howard. As long as Howard can improve last season's QB play, this team can compete for the title.

Notre Dame (-130 via Caesars)

As the landscape of college football continues to be reshaped due to conference realignment, Notre Dame is the only marquee program in the country that remains unscathed. While College Football Playoff hopefuls like Texas and Oregon have to adjust to making the jump to the SEC and Big Ten, respectively, the Fighting Irish have a clearer path.

There's an advantage for Notre Dame as an independent with no need to win a conference championship. Obviously, that means Marcus Freeman's team can't be an automatic qualifier, but it's hard to imagine a world where the playoff committee isn't picking a 10 or 11-win Irish team as an at-large candidate.

Semantics aside, Notre Dame looks legit as Freeman enters his third season at the helm. Duke transfer Riley Leonard is set to start at QB with a defense backing him up that could be among the best in the sport.

2025 College Football Playoff odds over time 

(Odds via DraftKings)

Recent CFP National Championship winners

How to bet on the College Football Playoff 

Unlike year's past, betting on the College Football Playoff is more entertaining. Instead of choosing between the six or seven blue bloods that are always in contention, there's a deeper pool to choose from with longer odds and bets having more value than they ever had before. Still, teams like Georgia and Ohio State have ridiculously short odds, but factoring in conference realignment and coaching changes have impacted usual contenders like Alabama and Michigan.

The best way to go about it at this point is to find teams that finished the season strong in the SP+ rankings and score highly among the 2024 returning production rankings. From there it can be helpful to take a look at the schedules of contending teams to see who has an easier path to their conference championship.

For example, Texas not only has to play Oklahoma and Georgia on its SEC schedule, but it plays Michigan on the road in the second game of the season. A loss could really impact the Longhorns' chances at an at-large bid, assuming the Bulldogs win the SEC and earn the automatic qualifier.

An interesting wrinkle to consider this season is that one Group of Five program will earn the fifth automatic qualifier as a conference champ, and those teams have far longer odds to qualify.

College Football Playoff FAQs

Who are the favorites to make the College Football Playoff?

The Georgia Bulldogs and Ohio State Buckeyes are the favorites to make the 2025 College Football Playoff, with odds as short as -600. The -600 odds imply an 85.71% probability both programs will make the playoff, according to our odds calculator. 

How many teams make College Football Playoff?

Previously only four teams were selected for the College Football Playoff, but this season the playoff will expand to 12 teams. The top five ranked conference champions will be automatic qualifiers for the playoff along with seven at-large teams, decided by the College Football Playoff selection committee.

The top four conference champions will receive a first-round bye in the playoff.

When does the College Football Playoff start?

The 2025 College Football Playoff starts with the first round on Dec. 20 and 21, with games being played at the campus of the higher seed. The quarterfinals will then be played across the Fiesta, Peach, Rose, and Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

The semifinals take place Jan. 9 and 10 at the Orange and Cotton Bowl before the CFP National Championship game on Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga.

Who made the College Football Playoff last year?

Michigan, Washington, Texas, and Alabama were chosen for the College Football Playoff by the selection committee last season.

Who won the CFP National Championship last year?

The Michigan Wolverines won their first title since 1997 by defeating the Washington Huskies in the 2024 national championship.

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