How to Bet the CFP Games: Tips for the Fiesta and Peach Bowls

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Stetson Bennett #13 of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrates a touchdown against the LSU Tigers on December 03, 2022. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images/AFP.

With Saturday fast approaching, we’ve got the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl updates you need for your college football picks.

Enquiring minds want to know: what’s the latest scoop on the College Football Playoff? The semifinals are this Saturday, with the No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs meeting the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines at the Fiesta Bowl, and the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes taking on the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs at the Peach Bowl. Mmmmmmm… peaches.

We’ve already given you our recommended Fiesta Bowl picks, and our Peach Bowl picks as well, but nothing is carved in stone; let’s see what the latest scuttlebutt is for both these matchups as we go to press, and re-align our thinking as required.


TCU Horned Frogs vs. Michigan Wolverines

Saturday, December 31, 2022 – 04:00 PM EST at State Farm Stadium

As you may have guessed, we had the underdog Frogs at +7.5 and Under 58.5 in our first batch of college football picks. You can still get both those prices as I write this; the most recent consensus reports show 71% support for Michigan and 61% for the Over, so here we are on the contrarian side again as we get closer to kick-off.

Welcome to the Desert

The Wolverines arrived in Arizona Monday night and are practicing at Tempe Diablo Stadium as I write this on a Tuesday afternoon. The media got to witness the first 15 minutes of practice, and the following players were reportedly not in uniform:

  • LB Nikhai Hill-Green
  • WR Amorion Walker
  • WR A.J. Henning
  • WR Andrel Anthony

Running back Donovan Edwards practiced with his right hand in a cast; edge rusher Mike Morris and center Olu Oluwatimi both appear fully on for the Fiesta Bowl.

Max Bet

The Horned Frogs found their way to Arizona as well, fading the travel issues that gripped much of the United States this past week or so. We’re still waiting for the word from practice at press time, but TCU was the healthier of these 2 teams heading into bowl season, with no one of note in the sick bay or the transfer portal.

We don’t see a need right now to move off either of our Fiesta Bowl picks. The National Championship is just too important for this up-and-coming Frogs program, which is made up largely of Texas sons, both players, and coaches.

QB Max Duggan is from Iowa, but he’ll be at the Fiesta Bowl even though he’s already declared for the NFL Draft; Duggan was voted this year’s Davey O’Brien Award winner as the top quarterback in the country, even though he finished second to USC QB Caleb Williams for the Heisman.


Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Georgia Bulldogs

Saturday, December 31, 2022 - 08:00 PM EST at Mercedes-Benz Stadium

This Peach Bowl feels like back when the AFC used to rule the NFL, and the AFC Championship Game was the “real” Super Bowl. Under 63 was our primary NCAAF pick; that total has dipped slightly to 62.2 points, but the consensus reports show 99% of bettors on the Over, so don’t be surprised if we get back to 63 or even higher before kick-off.

Keeping Up With Jones

The Buckeyes landed in Atlanta Sunday night after an intense week of practices back in Columbus, albeit without 3 relatively minor players who entered the transfer portal:

  • LB Teradja Mitchell
  • S Jaylen Johnson
  • S Jantzen Dunn

These departures are immaterial to the college football odds, which still have Ohio State getting 6.5 points - their first game as an underdog since their 2021 National Championship loss to Alabama (-9.5). Still no official word on the health of RG Matt Jones, but offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson expects Jones to be ready after putting in semi-regular practice the past 2 weeks.

Hope Springs Eternal

This is basically a home game for the defending champions, who made their way to Atlanta Monday afternoon. Head coach Kirby Smart was tight-lipped about the status of WR Ladd McConkey and OT Warren McClendon, but said he was “excited to get those guys hopefully back” from their respective knee issues.

We weren’t too keen on betting either team against the Peach Bowl spread, but it looks like our prop recommendations may have caused a ripple on the NCAAF odds board. We took both “0-20” (+6000) and “51-60” (+300) for the Points Range props at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review); the odds for the former have since changed to +4500, while the latter remains the same.

As do all of our College Football Playoff picks thus far. It’s going to be a great day for football, so bet accordingly, may the prolate spheroid be with you, and don't forget that you can find the best US betting sites at Bookmakers Review.

*The line and/or odds in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.