Latest College Football Playoff Picks & Odds (2025)

Betting on your round one College Football Playoff picks is the perfect way to make every round one game more exciting. There are four matchups in the opening round, including a rematch between #9 Alabama and #8 Oklahoma to open the tournament on Friday. 

Keep reading to see the latest odds and my CFP picks for every round one game. Also, I will highlight my favorite props and tell you where to bet on the first round of the CFP in the guide below. 

First Round College Football Playoff Odds

Here are the latest odds for the opening round of the CFP, courtesy of Lucky Rebel. 

Game 1 of the CFP pits the Crimson Tide against the Sooners in Norman. Oklahoma is playing at home, is the higher-ranked seed, and beat Alabama when they played earlier this season. Despite all of that, the Sooners are 1.0 point underdogs on Friday. 

The remaining three games of the opening round take place on Saturday. First, #7 Texas A&M welcomes #10 Miami to College Station. The Aggies are 3.0-point favorites at home. 

Then, #6 Ole Miss and #5 Oregon are heavy favorites against #11 Tulane and #12 James Madison, respectively. The Rebels are favored by 17.5 in their first game under new head coach Pete Golding. Oregon, on the other hand, is the biggest favorite of round one, laying 21.0 points against JMU. 

Lucky Rebel will have competitive betting lines for every game of every round of the CFP. Read our Lucky Rebel review to find out more about why you should use this sportsbook in the CFP opening round and beyond. 

80%

Expert Score

80%

Player Score

Featured Offer

Welcome Bonus

125% up to $1,250 + 50 free spins

Claim Bonus

Best CFP Picks for Round 1

Let’s take a closer look at the opening round matchups for this year’s College Football Playoffs, using odds from top college football betting sites. 

Straight Up/ML Pick

• #7 Texas A&M (-168) – Bet now!

#10 Miami was one of the most controversial selections in this year’s CFP. The Hurricanes finished 10-2; however, due to the ACC’s weird tiebreakers, Miami did not play in the conference title game. 

Now, Carson Beck and company face one of the toughest matchups in Round 1. Miami must go to College Station to face #7 Texas A&M. A tough opening matchup significantly hurt Miami’s 2025 CFP title odds. 

The Aggies are -168 favorites on their home field. Texas A&M started 11-0 but dropped the ball in their final regular-season game, losing 27-17 to #16 Texas. Missing the SEC Championship game could be a blessing in disguise, though, as it gave the Aggies extra time to rest and prepare for this matchup. 

A better regular season against a tougher schedule than Miami and home-field advantage make the Aggies the clear best moneyline bet in the opening round of the CFP. 

Best ATS Picks

• #11 Tulane +17.5 (-115) – Bet now!
• #12 James Madison +21.0 (-110) – Bet now!

As expected, #11 Tulane and #12 James Madison are both heavy underdogs in their Round 1 matchups. 

Tulane, which upset North Texas in the American Conference Championship, is getting 17.5 points against #6 Ole Miss. The Rebels had a great season, but they will be without Lane Kiffin, who left to coach LSU. 

A coaching change right before the CFP is tough to overcome, which will open the door for Tulane to cover as Ole Miss finds its footing. 

James Madison is also in a good position to cover +21.0 points against Oregon this weekend. Eugene is a tough place to play, but the Dukes have a great defense that should travel well. 

Neither team allows more than 16.0 PPG this season. Oregon and James Madison both also score over 37.0 PPG on average this year. If JMU can avoid an early blowout, they will keep the game within 21 points on Saturday. 

Top CFP Upset Pick

•  #8 Oklahoma (-104) – Bet now!

My round one CFP upset pick is #8 Oklahoma, which is the only higher seed listed as an underdog in the opening round. 

Alabama was a good team this season, going 4-2 against ranked teams. However, they are coming off a 28-7 blowout loss to Georgia in the SEC title game. The Crimson Tide also lost at home to Oklahoma in mid-November. 

Heisman finalist Ty Simpson threw an interception that was returned 87 yards for a touchdown, putting Alabama behind 10-0 early in that game. The Crimson Tide fought back, even taking the lead in the third quarter. However, they were shut out in the fourth and lost after a field goal put the Sooners ahead with just over two minutes remaining. 

This is the third meeting between these teams in the last 13 months, and Oklahoma won the first two. The Crimson Tide’s offensive struggles have cost them three wins this year, and they will derail Alabama’s title hopes this weekend, too. 

Top College Football Playoff Prop Bets

• Daniel Hill (ALA) 1+ TDs in the 1st half (+250) – Bet now!
• Marcel Reed (TA&M) over 1.5 TD passes (-110) – Bet now!
• Jake Retzlaff (TUL) over 31.5 rushing yards (-115) – Bet now!

Alabama’s Daniel Hill had two touchdowns in the team’s loss to Oklahoma this season. He is listed at +250 odds to score a TD in the first half of their round one matchup against the Sooners. Hill has five rushing TDs this season, the most of any Alabama player this year. 

Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NCAA this season. His 25 passing TDs are tied for the 15th-most in the country. Reed is listed at -110 to have over 1.5 TD passes this week against Miami. 

QB Jake Retzlaff is also the team’s leading rusher with 610 yards on the ground this year. He is listed at -115 odds to have over 31.5 rushing yards against Ole Miss. Retzlaff has averaged 5.2 YPC this season and has 16 rushing TDs. 

Betting on the College Football Playoffs

Lucky Rebel is the best place to wager on the opening round of the 2025 College Football Playoffs. It offers competitive odds on every game of the first round, including my top wager: #7 Texas A&M (-168) to beat #10 Miami. 

Creating your Lucky Rebel account today also makes you eligible for the site’s welcome bonus. Claiming the 125% welcome offer can reward you with up to $1,250 in bonus funds for betting on round one of the CFP.