ESPN will broadcast the granddaddy of all college football games live on January 19th at 7:30 PM ET. This week’s college football picks feature the Miami Hurricanes battling the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers for NCAAF supremacy.
Let’s get down to it and study this matchup and find the sharpest value at the best online sportsbooks to give us the most favorable edge in our College Football National Championship picks this week.
College Football National Championship Picks At-A-Glance
Our best college football bets focus exclusively on this championship matchup between the Hurricanes of Miami and this season’s Cinderella team, the Indiana Hoosiers. Ironically, 10th-seeded Miami would not have qualified for this year’s CFP had the format not changed a few years ago to include the top dozen teams in America.
Miami’s opponent, Indiana, is a team that had made a surprising entrance in the CFP last year before bowing in the opening round to Notre Dame. However, this year the Hoosiers surpassed all expectations and not only defeated the reigning national champs, Ohio State, for the Big Ten title but are also poised to become the first 16-0 team since the 1894 edition of the Yale Bulldogs.
As we review the College Football Playoff national championship odds, it is time to dissect this highly anticipated matchup that will take place at a neutral site, the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Miami Hurricanes vs. Indiana Hoosiers (-8.5)
January 19, 2026 – 7:30 PM ET
The college football odds for this matchup between the Hurricanes and the Hoosiers indicate that the public is heavily favoring Indiana, which opened as seven-point favorites and is currently at -8½ at most of the top online sportsbooks, although some are listing the line as high as Hoosiers -9½. Will it reach -10 or more at kickoff?
Well, if we look at BMR’s algorithm, this game is projected to be a much tighter affair, with the Hoosiers claiming a 29-24 victory, giving them their first national college football championship, but giving the cover to the underdog Hurricanes.
Although I would love to be a sharp contrarian, I am all-in with the Hoosiers, a team that has been absolutely steamrolling their opposition, covering their last four games and defeating their two CFP opponents, Alabama and Oregon, by a margin of 94-25.
The Big Ten title tilt with the Buckeyes was the last time the Hoosiers were involved in a game that was relatively close, when Indiana pulled a 13-10 upset over Ohio State and punched their ticket as the No. 1 seed in the postseason tournament.
Miami Brings Momentum as Underdogs
But let’s give Miami its due; the Canes have covered their last four games as well and also upset Ohio State in the opening round, courtesy of a 24-14 win before handing Ole Miss a 31-27 defeat, eking out a cover as 3½ point favorites.
Yet, the Indiana team they will be facing is a different breed of cat. Not only have they knocked off five ranked opponents this season in dispatching No. 9 Illinois (63-10), No. 3 Oregon (30-20), No. 1 Ohio State (13-10), No. 9 Alabama (38-3), and No. 5 Oregon (56-22), but Indiana has also covered 10 of their 15 games this season.
The Hoosiers’ Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, leads an Indiana aerial attack that has contributed to one of the most explosive offenses in college football this season. The 6’5” junior has been surgically precise this season, completing nearly 73% of his passes for 3,349 yards, 41 touchdowns, and only six picks. He also has six rushing touchdowns to boot.
Indiana’s Stats Overview
Consider Indiana’s offensive stats:
- Indiana is ranked 4th in total yards (461)
- Indiana is 8th in rushing yards (218.3)
- Indiana is 28th in passing yards (242.7)
- Indiana is 4th in passing completion percentage (72.8)
- Indiana is 2nd in yards per passing attempt (9.6)
- Indiana is 1st in QB rating (189.9)
- Indiana is 5th in points scored (42.6)
Consider Indiana’s defensive stats:
- Indiana is 4th in total yards allowed (260.9)
- Indiana is 3rd in rushing yards allowed (75.0)
- Indiana is 28th in passing yards allowed (185.9)
- Indiana is 4th in passing yards per completion (9.9)
- Indiana is 11th in opponents’ QB rating (112.3)
- Indiana is 2nd in points allowed (11.1)
In short, Miami is a worthy opponent, but Indiana is historic. Lay it and like it with the Hoosiers.
Expert Pick: Indiana -8½ (-109) at Bookmaker
Bet on College Football National Championship Now!
The CFP championship college football picks posted today on Miami vs. Indiana will not stay stagnant forever. Odds, point spreads, and totals are dynamic, which means the moneylines and point spreads you see here may not be around by gametime.
Therefore, it is important that you get the sharpest line available, and the only way to do that is to get down immediately on the games and make sure you have an active account.
That’s right, make certain your account is funded, and perhaps get accounts at two or more sportsbooks so you can compare the numbers. Make sure to get down at a place you trust and at the best lines or odds available.
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
