Best college football futures bets to make after first CFP rankings release

The College Football Playoff Committee released its first top 25 rankings Tuesday night. With only four weeks left in the regular season, pressure is mounting on various programs nationwide.

With only 12 spots for the final field, each game could make or break the season as the weeks wind down. With such little time left in the season, the top online sportsbooks are starting to crack down on the odds in their college football futures sections.

Here are some of the best odds and values to consider before the postseason arrives:

Alabama to make the CFP bracket

Odds: -125 at BetMGM Sportsbook

No game is easy in college football, but the Crimson Tide’s playoff hopes rest on this weekend. If Alabama can travel to Baton Rouge and beat LSU, it has a tremendous chance of making the 12-team playoff field.

For that same reason, if you like the Tigers to win this weekend, you could consider their +225 odds at BetMGM.

Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer once was looking to be on his way to having the top-seeded team in the country. But after two losses, the season is on the brink. One loss in any of Alabama’s final four games will snuff their postseason hopes, which is why the odds are still favorable.

However, Alabama should be double-digit favorites in its final three games. So, if QB Jalen Milroe and this offense recapture the consistency seen earlier in the season, they’ll have a strong chance against an LSU team that suffered after an emotional road loss to Texas A&M in its last game.

Iowa State to make the CFP bracket

Odds: +250 at DraftKings Sportsbook

The Cyclones control their destiny as the second-place team in the Big 12. Suffering their first loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders last weekend knocked what would be a top-12 team down to 17th in the playoff rankings.

Still, there is plenty to be excited about regarding Iowa State. QB Rocco Becht is one of the most efficient passers in the country. With wideouts Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel to pair with him, this offense consistently generates big plays.

Defensively, the team boasts one of the top secondaries in the country. Stars such as Jeremiah Cooper, Darien Porter, Jontez Williams and Beau Freylor provide dependable play that allows the front seven to focus on slowing down the run.

Iowa State’s big roadblocks will come against Kansas State to end the season and whoever it faces in the Big 12 conference championship game. Should the Cyclones get by, they’ll have a chance at a top-four seed in the bracket.

Georgia Bulldogs national championship game winner

Odds: +425 at DraftKings Sportsbook

There has been no team more frustrating this season than the Georgia Bulldogs. Against Texas, they appeared to be a defensive juggernaut, but the Florida Gators took them down to the wire.

The truth is the offense has been a primary concern for the Bulldogs this season. QB Carson Beck was expected to be a top quarterback in college football, but his turnover bug and inefficient deep ball have hampered the offense. The Bulldogs continue to prevail despite that.

Week-to-week play is an unreliable narrator for college football. Too often, teams are slipping up against lesser opponents. However, the big programs tend to prevail when things get down to the wire.

The fact that Beck has had four multi-turnover games and the team continues to win should be terrifying for the field.

The defense is starting to get back to full health as well. That type of impact in the trenches will give head coach Kirby Smart a massive advantage against an inexperienced field.

Oregon remains unbeaten at No. 1, and Ohio State is the betting favorite. Expect Georgia, however, to piece everything together before the season’s end and eventually hoist the trophy as national champions.