Best NCAAF Picks & Bets: College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Picks

• Ohio State and Oregon will battle in a rematch on October 12

• The CFP Quarterfinal begins on NYE with Penn State and Boise State

• Georgia QB Carson Beck will miss the CFP with a UCL injury 

The College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchups are finally here, and there are plenty of exciting games to watch. The action begins with Penn State vs. Boise State on New Year’s Eve, and the rest of the games are played the following day. 

Penn State vs. Boise State and Texas vs. Arizona State are double-digit spreads, but the last two games of the weekend should be highly competitive. 

Oregon will face Ohio State in a rematch from October 12, where the Ducks won 32-31. Georgia will battle Notre Dame without their starting quarterback, Carson Beck, who is sidelined with a UCL injury for the year.

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#8 Ohio State vs. #1 Oregon on FanDuel

• Date: Wednesday, January 1

• Time: 5:00 PM EST

• Moneyline: Ohio State (-132) | Oregon (+110)

• Spread: Ohio State -2.5 (-110) | Oregon +2.5 (-110)

• Total: Over 55.5 (-105) | Under 54.5 (-115)

Pick: Oregon ML (+110) at FanDuel

Ohio State has been a victim of recency bias. They lost their final game of the regular season to Michigan as a three-touchdown favorite, and the haters began to swarm. 

Ohio State was labeled a team that couldn’t win the big game. The fanbase wanted Ryan Day fired, as he hasn’t beaten Michigan in the past four seasons. The negative vibes couldn’t have been higher for the Buckeyes. 

They opened the College Football Playoff as the eighth-ranked team in the bracket, which gave them a home game against Tennessee in the First Round. The Volunteers entered Columbus as a 7.5-point underdog, and many people picked Tennessee to win the game outright. 

Ohio State beat Tennessee 42-17 in a performance for the ages. Ohio State dominated every aspect of the game and showed no signs of feeling the pressure after their loss to Michigan. 

Will Howard was 24 of 29 for 311 yards and two touchdowns. The Buckeyes also ran the ball for 4.7 yards per carry. The problem for Ohio State is that the recency bias is kicking in once again. 

Ohio State lost to Oregon on October 12th, but they’re now picked to finish second in the College Football Playoff race. The Buckeyes are a great team and the most expensive roster in college football, but Oregon is also legitimate. 

The Ducks are the only undefeated team in America and played three CFP teams. Their offense is clicking behind quarterback Dillon Gabriel, and we expect him to perform excellently. 

If Oregon plays up to their standard, they can win this game. The fact we’re getting the Ducks as an underdog as the nation’s only undefeated team is something we can’t pass on in the CFP. 

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#7 Notre Dame vs. #2 Georgia on FanDuel

• Date: Wednesday, January 1

• Time: 8:45 PM EST

• Moneyline: Notre Dame (-102) | Georgia (-118)

• Spread: Notre Dame +1.5 (-110) | Georgia -1.5 (-110)

• Total: Over 45.5 (-106) | Under 45.5 (-114)

Pick: Georgia -1.5 (-112) at FanDuel

Carson Beck’s career at Georgia is done. The quarterback tore his UCL in the second quarter of the SEC Championship Game, which thrust Gunner Stockton into the spotlight. 

Stockton had limited game experience before the SEC Championship but didn’t flinch in the big game, leading the Bulldogs to a comeback win. 

Stockton was 12-16 for 71 yards and one interception. While the box score doesn’t look great, his presence lit a fire under Georgia and allowed them to win the SEC. 

While losing a starting quarterback can be deadly to a team, Beck wasn’t a world-beater this season. Georgia consistently won with their defense, and we don’t think anything will change in the CFP quarterfinal. 

Notre Dame is coming off a rout of Indiana in the first round of the CFP. The Irish were highly physical against Indiana, rushing for 193 yards compared to Indiana’s 63 yards on the ground. 

Both teams believe they can be more physical than their opponents, but Georgia has the edge in this category. Look for the Bulldogs to pound the rock and play excellent defense.

Stockton has been preparing for this game for a month, and the Bulldogs have the best coach in the country in Kirby Smart.

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