Georgia, Ohio St. open as CFP wagering favorites

• David Purdum, ESPN Personnel WriterAug 29, 2024, 02:21 PM ET

  Close

  • Joined ESPN in 2014
  • Journalist covering betting market considering that 2008

A brand-new college football season, including prevalent conference realignment and a broadened playoff, has a familiar look to it at sportsbooks, with seasonal powers from the SEC and Big 10 sitting atop the chances to win the national championship.Georgia and Ohio State have actually separated themselves from the pack as the agreement nationwide title favorites ahead of the season. The Bulldogs are +300 at ESPN BET, followed closely by the Buckeyes at +325. Oregon(+700) and Texas (+900) are the only other groups with odds much shorter than +1000. Georgia and Ohio State account for almost 50%of the bets that have actually been placed on ESPN BET’s title chances and are among eight teams that are odds-on favorites to receive this season’s 12-team playoff. Oregon (-350 ), Texas(-240 ), Notre Dame( -170), Penn State( -150), Ole Miss(-140)and Alabama (-115 )likewise are odds-on favorites to reach the playoff at ESPN BET. “All of our most popular groups to make the playoffs are pretty much specifically in the SEC,”John Murray, executive director of the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas, informed ESPN.Ole Miss, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas A&M were amongst the groups that have actually attracted the most interest from wagerers to make the playoffs, Murray added.Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel(+600)is the preferred to win the Heisman Prize. Gabriel moved ahead of Georgia quarterback Carson Beck(+850)and into the function of Heisman preferred in July. In the last 15 years, the preseason Heisman Prize favorite has actually won just once (Marcus Mariota in 2014 ), according to ESPN Statistics & Details.” We definitely don’t want to see Dillon Gabriel win the Heisman Trophy,”Murray said.”That’s a concern. “