mendoza.jpg

Before we get to the Peach Bowl and the second College Football Playoff semifinal, can we acknowledge the Fiesta Bowl and the first semifinal? On Thursday night, the Miami Hurricanes and Ole Miss Rebels staged an instant classic in a back-and-forth, edge-of-your-seat Fiesta Bowl. The Hurricanes prevailed, 31-27, in a game that wasn't decided until the Rebels' Hail Mary attempt harmlessly hit the ground.

Miami advances to the CFP National Championship on Jan. 19 and will get to play for the program's first national title since the 2001 season, on its home field, no less, at Hard Rock Stadium.

The Hurricanes will face the winner of Friday's Peach Bowl between the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers (14-0), who are the last undefeated team remaining in the FBS, and the No. 5 Oregon Ducks (13-1), also from the Big Ten.

The Hoosiers are two wins away from completing arguably the most remarkable turnaround in sports. They had entered the 2025 season as the program with the most losses all-time in college football. Like Indiana, the Ducks are two wins away from the first national championship in program history. But unlike the Hoosiers, Oregon has been a national power for much of the 21st century.  

Indiana is a 3.5-point favorite against the Ducks after initially opening as a 4-point favorite.

While Indiana vs. Oregon is the marquee attraction on Friday, there are other options on a sporting landscape that includes 10 NBA matchups. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Friday, Jan. 9. All times Eastern.

College Football Playoff semifinal best bets, where to watch

Peach Bowl: No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 5 Oregon

Time: 7:30 p.m. | Location: Atlanta | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Oregon +3.5 | Expert: Oregon +4.5 (Matt Severance)

The Hoosiers and Ducks already have met this season. On Oct. 11, Indiana got out of Eugene, Ore., with a 30-20 victory. In that game, Hoosiers quarterback and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza and the Indiana offense generated just 326 total yards, which was tied for the team's worst offensive performance this season. But Mendoza led a go-ahead touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, and the Hoosiers intercepted the Ducks' Dante Moore late to secure the win. Severance notes that in four of the five College Football Playoff rematches, the team that lost the earlier matchup came out on top in the rematch. "It's so hard to beat a really good team twice in one season in this sport," he says. The SportsLine Projection Model says Oregon has a 54.0% chance to cover and assigns a C grade to Ducks +3.5. 

NBA best bets, where to watch

Thunder at Grizzlies

Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Memphis | TV: NBA TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Grizzlies +5.5

Oklahoma City is not OK (at least entering Friday). The reigning NBA champions are just 7-6 in their last 13 games, they needed 46 points and a game-tying jumper from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Wednesday to force overtime against lowly Utah, and they will be severely shorthanded for tonight's game at Memphis. The Thunder will be without Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle sprain), Chet Holmgren (bilateral shin soreness) and Isaiah Hartenstein (soleus), among others. On Friday, Oklahoma City will try to extend its winning streak over the Memphis Grizzlies to 16 games, but the SportsLine Projection Model says Memphis has a 68.0% to cover and gives a B grade to Grizzlies +5.5.

Bucks at Lakers

Time: 10:30 p.m. | Location: Los Angeles | TV: NBA TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Over 229.5

The battle to be the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference is shaping up to be a wild royal rumble. Just 2½ games separate the current No. 2 team, the Spurs (26-11), and the No. 6 team, the Rockets (22-12). The Los Angeles Lakers (23-12) also figure to be in the mix if they can stay healthy and improve defensively (they rank 21st in the league in defensive rating). For Friday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, L.A.'s LeBron James, who sat out Wednesday's loss at San Antonio, is questionable with multiple ailments. Milwaukee ranks 18th in the NBA in defensive rating (115.9 points per 100 possessions). The SportsLine Projection Model says there's a 57.9% chance the teams combine for 230 points or more and assigns a B grade to Over 229.5, but James' status is certainly worth monitoring until tip-off.

Looking ahead

NFL: Rams at Panthers

Time: 4:30 p.m. Saturday | Location: Charlotte | TV: FOX | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Panthers +445 | Expert: Panthers +10.5 (R.J. White)

This season's NFL playoffs kick off on Saturday with a Super Wild Card Weekend matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers. The game is a rematch of one played in Week 13 when the Panthers forced three Matthew Stafford turnovers and got three passing touchdowns from Bryce Young in a 31-28 victory. Los Angeles enters the playoffs with the best offense in the league. The Rams led the league in scoring offense (30.5 points per game), yards per game (394.6) and passing yards per game (268.1) this season. But White notes that road teams that are favored by 10 points or more are 0-2 against-the-spread in NFL playoff history. "Home 'dogs of at least 3.5 are 6-2 ATS in the playoffs since 2010 as well," White says. The SportsLine Projection Model says that Carolina has a 24.0% chance to win and gives a B grade to the Panthers money line (+445).

NFL: Packers at Bears

Time: 8 p.m. Saturday | Location: Chicago | TV: Prime Video | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Bears +1.5 | Expert: Bears +1.5 (Emory Hunt)

The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers renew the oldest, most storied and most played rivalry in NFL history when they collide in a Super Wild Card Weekend matchup on Saturday at Soldier Field. The game will be the 213th meeting all-time between the rivals but just the third in the playoffs. The teams split their two matchups this season, with each winning on its home field. The Bears own the third-best rushing attack in the league, averaging 144.5 yards per game. "What makes the Bears a difficult matchup is how they are built to win many different ways offensively," Hunt says. "They can run the ball when they want to and have explosiveness in the pass game at both WR and TE." The SportsLine Projection Model says there's a 54.0% chance Chicago covers and assigns a B grade to Bears +1.5.