Cincinnati was No. 8 in the final College Football Playoff rankings in 2020. Not bad for a Group of Five program but still a ways away for the 9-0 team to make the four-team bracket.
Strength of schedule was a valid argument for the Bearcats to be ranked behind Power Five bluebloods like Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Florida. This year, though, they have a chance at a marquee win that could get them closer to making the CFP. The Bearcats, preseason ranked No. 10 in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll, go to No. 7 Notre Dame on Oct. 2.
A win versus the Fighting Irish and against Miami (OH), FCS Murray State, and Indiana in the non-conference, plus another undefeated record in the American Athletic Conference, gives Cincinnati a more legit argument to make the playoffs. However, the college football betting odds say the chances of that happening are low.
Cincinnati has +1100 odds to make the CFP. It’s the same odds as LSU and Miami (FL). Again, not bad for a G5 team. But it’s just the 17th-best odds overall.
Maybe you see a lot of value in the +1100 odds. All Cincinnati has to do is beat Notre Dame and avoid other slip-ups, and it’s realistic for the Bearcats to push for a CFP bid. At the same time, the playoff system is just seven seasons old, and only 11 different teams have made up the 28 total spots. Just five programs have more than one appearance — Alabama 6, Clemson 6, Ohio State 4, Oklahoma 4, Notre Dame 2.
Expect the same group of teams to be in the bracket again, according to BetMGM’s odds to make this season’s College Football Playoff.
Odds To Make The CFP
*As of Aug. 12
Clemson -1000
Alabama -350
Ohio State -275
Oklahoma -225
Georgia +160
Iowa State +450
Texas A&M +500
Oregon +600
USC +600
Washington +600
Notre Dame +700
Florida +800
Wisconsin +800
Texas +1000
Arizona State +1000
North Carolina +1000
LSU +1100
Miami (FL) +1100
Cincinnati +1100
Penn State +1300
Iowa +1500
Michigan +2000
Auburn +2000
Indiana +2000
Ole Miss +2000
Utah +2500
Oklahoma State +2500
UCLA +2500
TCU +3000
West Virginia +4000
South Carolina +4000
Minnesota +4000
Louisville +4000
Cal +4000
NC State +5000
Boise State +5000
Stanford +5000
Nebraska +5000
Florida State +5000
Pitt +5000
Boston College +5000
Kansas State +5000
Missouri +5000
Kentucky +5000
Northwestern +5000
Louisiana +6600
Coastal Carolina +8000
UCF +8000
App State +10000
Place College Football Wagers at BetMGM
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