Georgia Set For Repeat? How Public Is Betting College Football Playoffs
Georgia is the favorite (-145)
As bowl season winds down, all eyes are turning toward the Georgia Bulldogs and their quest to repeat as national champions.
Standing in their way are the Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan Wolverines and TCU Horned Frogs, who combine to make up one of the most interesting fields in recent College Football Playoff memory. Sure, Georgia is the headliner, but any of the three other teams in the 2023 CFP field can be argued for as potentially being championship worthy -- which is reflected in the way the public is betting.
Georgia is the favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook, boasting -145 odds to bring home their second-consecutive title. Those odds are reflected in the line and betting trends for its Peach Bowl matchup against Ohio State (+350 to win the National Championship), where the Bulldogs are 6.5-point favorites and have commanded 84% of the bets and 85% of the handle at BetMGM.
Naturally, Georgia would command most of the moneyline bets as well -- right? Wrong.
Ohio State is +210 to win the Peach Bowl outright, per BetMGM, which has led to 72% of the moneyline bets rolling in on the side of the Buckeyes.
Michigan and TCU's matchup in the Fiesta Bowl has received similar treatment.
The Wolverines (+300 to win the National Championship) are 7.5-point favorites over the Horned Frogs (+1600 to win the National Championship), with 68% of the bets and 64% of the handle rolling in on the side of Michigan. The public is playing the odds, however, as 67% of the moneyline bets have come on TCU -- who has +290 odds of winning outright.
The dynamic with this season's CFP field is interesting, as the flip-flop nature of its betting trends reflects how truly up in the air things are and can continue to be. Ohio State, despite being an underdog to Georgia, is clearly one of the most talented teams in the country and was three or four plays away from running away from Michigan in the first half of their November matchup. TCU, despite being an underdog to Michigan, has been the Cinderella story this season and it can be argued they have the best quarterback in the entire field.
One thing that can't be argued is how exciting the College Football Playoffs have been since their inception, and betting trends in 2022 seem to indicate another round of thrilling matchups.
