The college football bowl season has commenced. Despite COVID-19 causing numerous cancellations, the primary event is still scheduled to proceed as planned.
The College Football Playoff semifinals, comprising four teams, presents us with one game that resembles a David-vs-Goliath contest. Meanwhile, the other game sees two of college football’s most prestigious teams battling it out to advance closer to the national championship.
This is the first College Football Playoff where betting is legal for people in Arizona. To attract new bettors, FanDuel Sportsbook is rolling out another promotional offer.
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Bet $5 on CFP semifinal game in Arizona with FanDuel and win $150 in cash.
The College Football Playoff semifinal games, which occur on New Year’s Eve, showcase two captivating matchups that potential bettors in Arizona might be interested in exploiting.
FanDuel Arizona is keen to assist newcomers to the legal AZ online sports betting scene. The best part is, you don’t need a promo code to avail of this excellent odds boost.
New users can easily register, deposit a qualifying amount and receive a 30-1 odds increase by placing their initial real-money bet on any of the four teams participating in the College Football Playoff semifinals. This opportunity allows you to earn $150 in cash, not as site credit.
This promotional offer is exclusively available on the FanDuel Sportsbook app. Desktop users will receive a pop-up message after registration prompting them to download the app to avail the offer. For mobile web users, a prompt to download the app to make a deposit will trigger the promotion.
The FanDuel college football promotion offers odds that are difficult to resist.
FanDuel’s 30-1 odds boost promotional offer does not impose any restrictions on eligible market odds. However, FanDuel does cap the maximum bet at $5 per user. Provided the new user’s initial real-money bet is placed on either team participating in the Cotton Bowl or Orange Bowl, they stand to earn $150 cash if their chosen team emerges victorious.
In other words, if the Alabama Crimson Tide () wins against the Cincinnati Bearcats (), a bettor could potentially transform a $5 bet into a $150 cash prize.
To make approximately $150 on Alabama’s moneyline, a wager of about $850 would typically be required outside of this promotion.
Alabama, ranked No.1, is the strong favorite against No.4 Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl.
Despite changes, certain things remain constant. The Alabama Crimson Tide has once again secured the top spot in the CFP rankings. Furthermore, they are the predicted winners for the national championship.
Nick Saban, the head coach, has already made a name for himself as one of the all-time greatest coaches in college football. He is just two victories short of clinching his eighth national championship. Furthermore, he has coached four Heisman Trophy winners at Alabama, including this year’s winner, quarterback Bryce Young.
Although the Tide were not as overpowering as they have been in previous years, they still managed to finish at the top of the final CFP rankings. This was achieved despite suffering a loss to Texas A&M, who had a backup quarterback playing, and facing difficulties in numerous games, which included almost losing to LSU and Auburn. However, they secured their top position by decisively defeating then-No. 1 Georgia 41-24 in the SEC Championship Game.
The reigning national champions are set to face the first ever Group of Five team, Cincinnati, that earned a spot in the four-team dance. As the nation acquaints itself with Cincinnati, the Bearcats enter this game as significant underdogs at.
After completing a second consecutive undefeated regular season and securing a victory in the American Athletic Conference, Cincinnati made their way into the field. The Bearcats had a bit of assistance with various contending Power Five teams losing multiple games. However, they ultimately secured the first opportunity for a Group of Five team to win a playoff game.
Cincinnati, under the leadership of one of the most successful college quarterbacks, Desmond Ridder, and boasting a defense with several players of NFL standard, aims to challenge Alabama fiercely. Their capability to compete with the top teams in the SEC has already been demonstrated in a close 24-21 defeat to Georgia at the 2021 Peach Bowl.
The 2021 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic will pit #1 Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1) against #4 Cincinnati Bearcats (13-0). The match is scheduled for Friday, December 31, with a start time of 1:30 p.m. MST. The venue for the game is AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and ESPN will provide TV coverage.
Double-Digit Dogs Struggle in the CFP
This year, among the 16 College Football Playoff (CFP) semifinals, seven will or have had double-digit spreads. In 2019, both semifinal games saw double-digit spreads. Up until now, in these scenarios, the favorites have a record of 4-2 against the spread and are undefeated with a 6-0 record when playing straight-up.
Cincinnati won’t be the first team with double-digit odds to play in a CFP game, and with ongoing discussions about playoff expansion, they likely won’t be the last. However, a review of past games shows that underdogs, despite having several weeks to strategize, often fall short against the favored team – usually Alabama.
- In 2015, Alabama, with a 10-point advantage, faced off against Michigan State. The result was a resounding victory for Alabama, who won with a score of 38-0.
- In 2016, Alabama (-13) faced off against Washington and won with a score of 24-7.
- In 2018, Alabama, with a 15 point advantage, faced Oklahoma. The result was a win for Alabama with a score of 45-34.
In the Orange Bowl, No. 2 Michigan is the underdog against No. 3 Georgia.
In the other part of the bracket, two of the most storied programs in college football will clash. The Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten and the Georgia Bulldogs of the SEC are expected to compete in what oddsmakers predict will be the more challenging College Football Playoff semifinal matchup.
Georgia seemed set for an unbeaten season until they met Saban and Alabama in the SEC championship game. The Bulldogs boast a powerful defensive unit that tops the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 9.5 points per game. For a clearer picture, the Bulldogs have only conceded 11 touchdowns this season, which is significantly the lowest in the country.
The betting line for this game has fluctuated. Initially, Georgia was favored by seven points. However, the spread reached as high as eight points in some Arizona sportsbooks. Currently, Georgia is still the favored team.
Conversely, Michigan has been on a formidable five-game winning streak, which includes consecutive victories over ranked adversaries Ohio State and Iowa. The Wolverines defeated Ohio State for the first time since 2011 and clinched the Big Ten championship for the first time since 2004. Head coach Jim Harbaugh had been unable to secure a victory over Ohio State during his tenure in Ann Arbor, until now.
Aidan Hutchinson, a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, heads a defense that permits only 16.1 points per game. Quarterback Cade McNamara and running back Hassan Haskins spearhead a predominantly run-oriented offense. The Wolverines have emerged victorious, without contest, in their only two games where they were labeled as underdogs. They beat Ohio State by 6.5 points and Wisconsin by 2 points.
The 2021 Capital One Orange Bowl will feature the #2 Michigan Wolverines (12-1) and the #3 Georgia Bulldogs (12-1). The game will take place on Friday, December 31, at 5:30 p.m. MST at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The match will be televised on ESPN.
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