Best NCAAF Picks & Bets: The College Football Playoff First Round is Here

• Notre Dame vs Indiana opens the CFP on Friday

• Notre Dame is 8-0 against the spread in their last eight games 

• Ohio State looks to bounce back after a brutal loss to Michigan

The most highly anticipated weekend of college football is here as the inaugural 12-team CFP begins. The Fighting Irish are 7.5-point favorites against the 11-1 Indiana Hoosiers on Friday. 

Indiana’s schedule was very weak in 2024, so they will look to prove the doubters wrong against the Irish. 

On Saturday night, Ohio State hosts Tennessee, and they lost to Michigan in their last game on their home field, costing them a Big Ten title chance. The Buckeyes are 2-8 against their previous ten games against SEC opponents. 

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Indiana vs. Notre Dame on FanDuel

• Date: Friday, December 20th

• Time: 8:00 PM EST

• Moneyline: Indiana (+230) | Notre Dame (-285)

• Spread: Indiana +7.5 (-112) | Notre Dame -7.5 (-108)

• Total: Over 51 (-108) | Under 51 (-112)

Pick: Notre Dame -7.5 (-108) at FanDuel

Notre Dame comes into this game at 11-1, with their only loss being to Northern Illinois. The Fighting Irish have been carried by their defense all season, and running back Jeremiyah Love has been outstanding. 

Indiana has surprised college football, but their schedule has been weak. Indiana’s lone test in 2024 came in a matchup against Ohio State, a game in which they lost 38-15. Notre Dame is a legitimate title contender, and we think the Hoosiers will struggle in this matchup. 

Notre Dame is 8-0 against the spread in their last eight games, so we expect them to cover this number on Friday night. Riley Leonard has thrown for 2,092 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions.

He has rejuvenated the Notre Dame offense along with Jeremiyah Love. We expect the Notre Dame defense to be too much for the Hoosiers on offense. 

The Irish rank third in points allowed per game, as they only surrender 13.6 per contest. On offense, Notre Dame scores nearly 40 points per game, which is third in the country. 

Look for Notre Dame to overpower the Hoosiers in a blowout win on Friday.

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Tennessee vs. Ohio State on FanDuel

• Date: Saturday, December 21st

• Time: 8:00 PM EST

• Moneyline: Tennessee (+220) | Ohio State (-270)

• Spread: Tennessee +7 (-108) | Ohio State -7 (-112)

• Total: Over 46.5 (-112) | Under 46.5 (-108)

Pick: Ohio State -7 (-112) at FanDuel

The Buckeyes have struggled against SEC opponents, but this might be the year they change the narrative. Ohio State has one of the most talented rosters in the country, but they had an ugly loss to Michigan in a game where they were 20-point favorites. 

Tennessee is 10-2 as they finished a perfect 7-0 at home in 2024. Unfortunately for them, they travel to Columbus to take on the Buckeyes and enter as seven-point underdogs. 

Nico Iamaleava has been fantastic for the Volunteers, throwing for 2,512 yards with 19 touchdowns. He has done a great job of caring for the football, as he has eight touchdowns and one interception in his last two games. 

The Buckeyes' strength is their defense, and we expect them to cause problems for Iamaleava. 

Ohio State is ranked first in total defense. They allow opponents 10.9 points per game, the best in the nation. They also lead the nation in the least yards allowed per game, points per play, and red zone scoring percentage. 

The Volunteers have posted a great season in 2024, but the road ends here, going up against the best defense in college football.

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