According to the BetMGM Sportsbook, the top five teams in the College Football Playoff rankings have impressive odds of -1200 or better to qualify for the newly expanded 12-team playoff format.
The first rankings of the season were made public by the selection committee on Tuesday, placing Oregon at the top, followed by Ohio State, Georgia, Miami, and Texas.
The next set of contenders currently poised to compete in the expanded playoff includes Penn State, Tennessee, Indiana, BYU, Notre Dame, Alabama, and Boise State.
Under the new playoff guidelines, the leading four teams must be conference champions. Therefore, Oregon (Big Ten), Georgia (Southeastern Conference), Miami (Atlantic Coast Conference), and BYU (Big 12) would secure first-round byes in this format.
As it stands, the first-round matchups are projected to be as follows: Boise State facing Ohio State, Alabama going against Texas, Notre Dame taking on Penn State, and Indiana squaring off with Tennessee.
Regarding the playoff odds, Boise State ranks at No. 12 with the seventh-shortest odds at -250 to reach the playoff. BYU, ranked at No. 9, has slightly weaker odds at -155, placing them in the 11th position.
Additionally, SMU, which just missed the cut at No. 13, has the 13th-shortest odds at -105. Texas A&M, at No. 14, comes in with the least favorable odds at +350.
When examining the odds for the national championship, Ohio State is currently favored, boasting the best odds at +350, followed closely by Georgia at +450. Despite holding the No. 1 ranking, Oregon possesses the same odds as Georgia, also at +450.
Texas, sitting at No. 5, remains the sole team with odds shorter than +1000, at +550.
In terms of betting trends, public sentiment favors Ohio State, as it is attracting the most money, accounting for 18.5%, and has the highest number of tickets sold, at 14.2%.
Georgia follows closely behind, drawing in 16.9% of the total money with the third-highest ticket sales at 10.9%. Texas is also in a strong position, garnering 11.5% of the money bets and ranking second in ticket sales at 11.6%.