{"id":118955,"date":"2025-12-17T13:38:24","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T18:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sharpfootballanalysis.com\/?p=118955"},"modified":"2025-12-17T13:38:24","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T18:38:24","slug":"college-football-betting-lines-spreads-storylines-betting-notes-for-cfp-first-round","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sharpfootballanalysis.com\/sportsbook\/college-football-betting-lines-spreads-storylines-betting-notes-for-cfp-first-round\/","title":{"rendered":"College Football Betting Lines: Spreads, Storylines & Betting Notes for CFP First Round"},"content":{"rendered":"

The College Football Playoff (CFP) kicks off this Friday night with a great rematch between Alabama and Oklahoma. That's followed by a triple-header of Saturday games, including a noon matchup between Miami and Texas A&M that could prove to be the highlight of the first round.<\/p>\n

Here are the latest college football lines for CFP First Round games. We've included spreads, over\/unders, storylines to watch, and our relevant betting notes for each game.<\/p>\n

College Football Lines for CFP First Round<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n

\n
Game<\/div>\n
Spread<\/div>\n
Total<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

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#9 Alabama at #8 Oklahoma (Friday)<\/span><\/div>\n
ALA -1.5<\/span><\/div>\n
40.5<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
#10 Miami FL at #7 Texas A&M (Saturday)<\/span><\/div>\n
TA&M -3.5<\/span><\/div>\n
50.5<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
#11 Tulane at #6 Ole Miss (Saturday)<\/span><\/div>\n
MISS -17.5<\/span><\/div>\n
56.5<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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#12 James Madison at #5 Oregon (Saturday)<\/span><\/div>\n
ORE -21.5<\/span><\/div>\n
47.5<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

CFB Betting Lines for CFP First Round: Odds, Storylines & Betting Tips<\/h2>\n

We're finally going to see some CFP action this Friday night with the first round kicking off a great weekend of college football. This is only the second season with the 12-team CFP format, and while there have been critics already of the process, it should create some interesting matchups in a season that was hard to predict, like the 2025 college football season. After all, who imagined Fernando Mendoza would win the Heisman Trophy for the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers?<\/p>\n

But those top four seeds (No. 1 Indiana, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Georgia, and No. 4 Texas Tech) can all enjoy the bye week while they watch these other eight teams match up in the first round of the CFP this weekend.<\/p>\n

On Friday night, the CFP gets underway with one of the best matchups on paper between No. 9 Alabama and No. 8 Oklahoma. They met a month ago, with the Sooners pulling off the 23-21 upset, thanks to an interception return for a touchdown on the way to a +3 turnover edge. But the offense has been sputtering for the Sooners, and it's no surprise the total is just 40.5 points for this matchup. However, Alabama will have to prove it truly belongs here as the No. 9 seed, following a third loss after being pounded 28-7 in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia. But it's a good opportunity for the Crimson Tide to roll onto the semifinals and avenge their most recent regular-season loss to Oklahoma.<\/p>\n

Starting off Saturday's triple header at noon, we'll see No. 10 Miami against No. 7 Texas A&M in another good one with a close spread. The Aggies came close to a perfect season, but they tripped up in the final game against Arch Manning and Texas. The Miami Hurricanes had a good year in the ACC, but that upset loss to Louisville, where quarterback Carson Beck threw four interceptions, sticks out like a sore thumb. The team will try to rebound here in a big game as a slight road underdog, but the Hurricanes certainly enter this game with a stronger defense than the other team.<\/p>\n

At 3:30 PM this Saturday, it's No. 11 Tulane (11-2) taking on another strong SEC team in Ole Miss (11-1), who hasn't lost since the October 18th game in Georgia that ended 43-35. This is another rematch from the regular season, as the Rebels have already defeated the American Conference's Tulane by a 35-point margin on September 20. That was a wire-to-wire win, as Ole Miss opened a 13-0 lead and never looked back behind a huge game by quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (307 passing yards, 112 rushing yards). But Tulane has made it here as an underdog thanks to upsetting North Texas in the American Conference Championship Game. They held the nation's top-scoring team to a season-low 21 points, but they'll have their hands full with Ole Miss again.<\/p>\n

On Saturday evening, it's the biggest mismatch by the spread as No. 5 Oregon is a 21.5-point favorite against No. 12 James Madison from the Sun Belt. While the betting lines for these first-round games have barely moved in the last week since they were released, this is the one matchup that has seen significant line movement, as the total has decreased from 50.5 points a week ago to 47.5 points now. However, Oregon remains a 21.5-point favorite, as the closest thing the Dukes have come to facing a team this good this year is when they lost 28-14 to Louisville from the ACC in September. Oregon is a dark horse to win it all, having lost only a 30-20 game to No. 1 Indiana this year.<\/p>\n

New sportsbook users can sign up and receive over $5,000 in college football betting promos<\/a> for the CFP First Round.<\/p>\n

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Bet on CFP first round Games at DraftKings<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Friday, Dec. 19 | 8:00 PM ET | Alabama vs. Oklahoma (CFP First Round)<\/h3>\n