College Football Playoff betting odds: Boise State leads the way among Mountain West teams

Broncos are +980 to reach playoff

Boise State Broncos quarterback Maddux Madsen. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Heading into Saturday’s home non-conference matchup with Appalachian State, Boise State remains the Mountain West’s best shot at College Football Playoff representation. 

The Broncos are +980 to reach the CFP in the latest odds from FanDuel. Boise State was +880 before taking down Air Force on the road, 49-37, to open MWC play. 

Kickoff between the Broncos (2-1, 1-0) and Appalachian State (2-1, 0-1 Sun Belt) at Albertsons Stadium is slated for 5:30 p.m. Mountain time on Saturday. The non-conference game will air live on FS1. 

“Really impressed with their program, have been for a long time,” first-year Appalachian State head coach Dowell Loggains said of Boise State earlier this week. “Even in the NFL when we were evaluating players, they’ve always done a really good job in the evaluation process, finding the two- and three-star (athletes) who turn out to be really, really good players for those guys.

“They’re well-coached, and it’ll be an awesome challenge to have to travel a long way to play a really good opponent.”

Boise State has won back-to-back MWC titles and is coming off a 12-2 season and the program’s first CFP appearance. 

The Broncos are -125 to win a third straight MWC championship, coming in above UNLV (+500), Fresno State (+650), San Diego State (+1500), San Jose State (+1600) and Utah State (+1700). 

In the CFP betting odds, South Florida (+360) and Tulane (+390) of the American Conference are the co-favorites to represent the Group of Five in the 12-team playoff. The Bulls (3-1) have notable wins over Boise State and Florida, while the Green Wave banked Power Four victories over Duke and Northwestern. 

South Florida and Tulane will not face off in regular-season play. 

Fellow American schools Memphis (+410), North Texas (+790), Navy (+980), East Carolina (+5000) and UTSA (+5000) are also in the running for a CFP berth. 

The five highest-rated conference champions in the final CFP rankings receive automatic bids to the playoff. 

The Broncos lead the way in the CFP odds among MWC teams, followed by UNLV (+1600), Fresno State (+4000) and Colorado State (+5000). No other MWC teams were listed by FanDuel. 

James Madison (+820), Old Dominion (+1800), Texas State (+2800) and Troy (+5000) of the Sun Belt are also CFP contenders.

Odds are courtesy of FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.