The College Football Playoffs kick off Saturday, December 28, 2019, and we will see a couple of tremendous games. No. 1 LSU Tigers take on No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners in Peach Bowl, while No. 3 Clemson Tigers and No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes square off in Fiesta Bowl. Get ready for a super exciting Saturday and make sure you choose the right markets, so here are the best wagers for the upcoming semifinals in case you haven’t make your mind.
Peach Bowl Game Info – Oklahoma Sooners vs. LSU Tigers
Time: Saturday, December 28th @ 4:00 PM ET
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Weather: 63 F Retractable Roof
TV: ESPN
Spread: LSU -13.5
Money Line: +405 | -500
Total: 75.5
Peach Bowl Best Bet – Oklahoma Sooners +14.5 at -134
The LSU Tigers enter Peach Bowl as No. 1 in the country for a reason. They have five wins over top-10 teams and two wins over top-5 teams this season. The Tigers had the 16th-toughest strength of schedule and still finished the regular season with a perfect 13-0 record. LSU easily outlasted Georgia 37-10 in the SEC Championship Game, while Joe Burrow completed his Heisman Trophy coronation with 349 yards and four touchdown passes.
LSU scores 47.8 points per game (3rd in the country) on 554.5 total yards (1st). Joe Burrow has tossed for 4715 yards, 48 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. The Tigers are lethal on the ground, too, racking up 167.7 rushing yards per contest (60th), and Clyde Edwards-Helaire leads the way with 197 carries for 1290 yards and 16 touchdowns. Their offensive line is doing a great job, while the Tigers’ defense is yielding 21.2 points per game (25th) on 342.0 total yards (32nd).
So, why should we wager on the Sooners to cover? First, Oklahoma’s offense is an elite one. The Sooners certainly can keep pace with the Tigers’ offense. Oklahoma is scoring 43.2 points per game (6th) on 554.2 total yards (2nd). The Sooners’ offense is well-balanced, so the Tigers will have a tall task to slow them down. Jalen Hurts has tossed for 3634 yards, 32 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while adding 1255 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on his own.
The Tigers’ biggest problem is their secondary, and Hurts can rely on a couple of terrific wide receivers. CeeDee Lamb has 58 receptions for 1208 yards and 14 touchdowns, while Charleston Rambo has 42 catches for 734 yards and five touchdowns. Furthermore, the Sooners’ defense is not so bad this season, allowing 24.5 points per game (48th) on 331.3 total yards (25th). They surrender only 198.5 passing yards per contest (tied-24th). With so much on the table, I expect the Sooners to stay close. I like this LSU team a lot, but I think they won’t beat the Sooners by two touchdowns. Oklahoma is 7-2 ATS in its last nine outings as an underdog.
Fiesta Bowl Game Info – Clemson Tigers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Time: Saturday, December 28th @ 8:00 PM ET
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Weather: 39 F Retractable Roof
TV: ESPN
Spread: Clemson -2
Money Line: -125 | +110
Total: 63.5
Fiesta Bowl Best Bet – Under 63.5 points at -110
It’s safe to say that the Clemson Tigers had an easy job this past regular season. The reigning champions had the 77th-toughest strength of schedule and cruised to a perfect 13-0 record (10-3 ATS). They humiliated the Virginia Cavaliers 62-17 in the ACC Championship Game, but the clash against the Ohio State Buckeyes will be a completely different story. The Tigers faced just two ranked opponents which could be a problem in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl.
The Buckeyes, on the other side, had the fifth-toughest strength of schedule in the country and still went 13-0 straight up (9-4 ATS). Their previous three games came against the top-13 teams, while the Buckeyes outlasted the No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers twice this season including a 34-21 victory in the Big Ten Championship Game. Ohio State trailed 21-7 at halftime, and the Buckeyes put on a terrific second-half performance to shut down the Badgers and score 27 points.
Hereof, the clash between Clemson and Ohio State seems a bit blurry to me. It could easily go either way. The Tigers are 1st in the country in points allowed (10.6) and total yards allowed per game (244.7), while they are scoring 46.5 points per outing (4th) on 547.7 total yards (3rd). The Buckeyes are 1st in the country in points scored (48.7) and 5th in total yards per game (531.5), while their defense surrenders 12.5 points (tied-2nd) on 247.9 total yards per game (2nd).
Both Clemson and Ohio State have so many offensive weapons, but their defensive units are remarkable, too. Therefore, I think we’ll see a tight game with fewer than 64 points in the total. Both schools will try to control the clock, and the importance of the game could be a big factor, too, so I’m taking the under on the totals.
