Best College Football Bets Today for (Predictions for Opening Round of College Football Playoff)

Iain MacMillan | 2 Hours Ago

Ole Miss is favored against Tulane in the first round of the College Football Playoff. / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

College football fans rejoice! It's time to find a spot on the couch, place some bets, and enjoy today's College Football Playoff action. We're already one game into the playoffs after last night's Oklahoma vs. Alabama showdown, and now we have three games to watch today.

Let's take a look at my top bet for each game.

College Football Playoff Best Bets Today

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

• Texas A&M -3.5 (-102) vs. Miami
• Ole Miss -17.5 (-104) vs. Tulane
• James Madison vs. Oregon UNDER 45.5 (-110)

Miami vs. Texas A&M Prediction

Miami got off to a hot start to its season, but you can't discount the fact that the Hurricanes have regressed in the second half of the season with losses to Louisville and SMU. The Aggies' secondary is one of the best in the country, ranking third in opponent pass success rate, which will play a big role in shutting down Carson Beck and the Hurricanes' offense.

Pick: Texas A&M -3.5 (-102)

Tulane vs. Ole Miss Prediction

In this week's edition of First to Forde, I wrote about why I'm laying the points with Ole Miss:

Tulane may have won the AAC, but the Green Wave weren't the best team in the conference. Tulane ranks just 46th in the country in net adjusted EPA per play and 66th in net success rate. Lane Kiffin may no longer be with Ole Miss, but that doesn't mean the Rebels can't steamroll the Green Wave in the rematch.

Pick: Ole Miss -17.5 (-104)

James Madison vs. Oregon Prediction

James Madison's biggest strength is its defense. The Dukes rank first in the country in opponent success rate and fourth in opponent adjusted EPA per play. The Oregon defense has also been inside the top 10 in both of those metrics for the majority of the season.

If James Madison has any shot in this game, it needs its defense to bring its "A" game. Oregon will likely still win, but I foresee this being a low-scoring affair.

Pick: UNDER 45.5 (-110)

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You can check out all of Iain's bets here!