College football odds, picks, predictions for 2024-25 bowl season, playoffs: Model backs Michigan, Texas

SportsLine's advanced computer model has revealed its 2024-25 college football bowl game picks and predictions, including projections for the College Football Playoff quarterfinals

By CBS Sports Staff

Dec 25, 2024 at 7:00 am ET • 4 min read

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The 2024-25 college football bowl schedule began on Dec. 14 and continues through January, culminating with the College Football Playoff title game on Jan. 20. This year's bowl schedule features the inaugural 12-team CFP bracket, with the College Football Playoff quarterfinals taking place on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. No. 6 seed Penn State is an 11-point favorite in the latest college football odds against No. 3 seed Boise State. The other CFP spreads for the quarterfinals are No. 5 seed Texas (-13.5) vs. No. 4 seed Arizona State, No. 1 seed Oregon (+2.5) vs. No. 8 seed Ohio State and No. 2 seed Georgia (-1.5) vs. No. 7 seed Notre Dame.

There are also plenty of other college football bowl spreads to comb through, as teams like No. 11 Alabama and No. 13 Miami (FL) try to salvage their respective seasons after missing the playoff field. The Crimson Tide are 12.5-point favorites against Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl, while the Hurricanes are 3.5-point favorites over Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Before locking in any college football bowl picks on those games or others, be sure to see the latest college football predictions from SportsLine's proven model.

The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a betting profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college spread football picks, and it is a profitable 43-35 on top-rated picks during the 2024 season. It also nailed all of the winners in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen impressive returns.

Now, it has turned its attention to the latest college football odds and college football betting lines for the 2024-25 bowl season. Head here to see every pick.

Top college football predictions for bowl season

One of the college picks the model is high on during bowl season: Michigan (+12.5) stays within the spread against No. 11 Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl at noon ET on Saturday, Dec. 31. The Crimson Tide were ultimately left out of the College Football Playoff in favor of SMU, making this a potential motivational mismatch. Alabama had aspirations of winning a championship this season, while Michigan has not been in that conversation since October.

The Wolverines were able to generate momentum down the stretch of the regular season though, covering the spread in three straight games. They are coming off their biggest win of the campaign, taking down then-No. 2 Ohio State as 20.5-point road underdogs in their rivalry tilt. Michigan's defense has not allowed more than 21 points in five of its last six games, which is a big reason why the Wolverines are covering the spread in nearly 70% of simulations. See the rest of its college football picks for bowl season here.

Another prediction: Fifth-seeded Texas dominates No. 4 seed Arizona State in a CFP quarterfinal matchup in the Peach Bowl on New Year's Day at 1 p.m. ET. The Longhorns advanced to the quarterfinals with a 38-24 win over Clemson in the first round, taking a 21-7 lead midway through the second quarter and maintaining an advantage the rest of the way. Junior quarterback Quinn Ewers completed 17 of 24 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown, but the Longhorns relied heavily on their rushing attack.

Junior running back Jaydon Blue had 14 carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns, while sophomore Quintrevion Wisner added 15 attempts for 110 yards and two scores. Arizona State has not faced a top-10 team this season, with its losses coming to a pair of unranked opponents in Texas Tech and Cincinnati. The model expects this to be far too big of a jump in competition, as the Longhorns are covering the spread (-13.5) in 60% of simulations. See picks for every other game during bowl season here.

How to make college football picks for bowl season

The model has also made the call on who wins and covers in every FBS matchup during the 2024-25 bowl season, and it's calling for a whopping seven underdogs to win outright. You can only get every pick for every game at SportsLine.

So what college football picks can you make with confidence, and which underdogs win outright during bowl season? Check out the latest college football odds below, then visit SportsLine to see which teams win and cover the spread, all from a proven computer model that has returned well over $2,000 in profit since its inception, and find out.