Line movements for College Football Playoff, including No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Miami

A spot in the semifinals in the College Football Playoff will be on the line when the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes and No. 10 Miami Hurricanes square off on New Year's Eve in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Hurricanes (11-2) advanced to the CFP quarterfinals by virtue of a 10-3 win over Texas A&M on Dec. 20. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes (12-1), who earned a first-round bye, last played in the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 6, losing to Indiana 13-10. 

The winner of the Cotton Bowl will advance to the CFP semifinals and the Fiesta Bowl to face the winner between No. 3 Georgia and No. 6 Ole Miss. 

Ohio State is a 9.5-point favorite over Miami at top sportsbooks after opening as an 8.5-point favorite.

In the other three CFP quarterfinal bowl games, all on New Year's Day, the Oregon Ducks are 2.5-point favorites over the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl; the Indiana Hoosiers are 7-point favorites over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl, and the Georgia Bulldogs are 6.5-point favorites over the Ole Miss Rebels in the Sugar Bowl.

Bet the College Football Playoff, including Ohio State vs. Miami, at DraftKings Sportsbook, where new users get $200 in bonus bets. Click here to sign up:

So what should you make of those lines and line movements? Here's a look at the point spread and line movement for this week's four CFP games. All times Eastern.

Bet College Football Playoff games at FanDuel Sportsbook, where new users get $150 in bonus bets. Click here:

Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Miami (7:30 p.m. Wednesday)

Open: Ohio State -8.5
Current: Ohio State -9.5

The opening line of -8.5 was quickly scooped up and immediately moved to -9.5. It has basically stayed there ever since, but there's at least one -9 out there, so Buckeyes backers should shop around or even wait for this to move in their direction. The initial betting on Ohio State seems to be a fair market correction after the Hurricanes struggled offensively against Texas A&M, scoring just 10 points in the win. The Buckeyes own the nation's No. 1 scoring defense (8.2 points per game) so scoring won't get easier for Miami. The Hurricanes' chances to win and cover may come down to their ability to get pressure on Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin like Indiana did in the Big Ten title game. 

Orange Bowl: No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 5 Oregon (noon Thursday)

Open: Oregon -1.5
Current: Oregon -2.5

This line has been volatile since its opening. After the Ducks (12-1) first opened as slight favorites, early betting came in on the Red Raiders (12-1) and flipped the line to Texas Tech -1.5. But recent action has re-established Oregon as the favorite. Part of the reason for that may be the speculation that the Ducks could get back receiver Evan Stewart for the bowl game. Stewart had 48 catches for 613 yards and five touchdowns last season for Oregon but has missed all of 2025 with a knee injury. He participated in pregame warmups in the first-round win over James Madison but did not play. Based on the current juice, Ducks bettors should consider getting their play in soon, while Red Raiders supporters should either wait for this to get to +3 or consider the money line.

Rose Bowl: No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 9 Alabama (4 p.m. Thursday)

Open: Indiana -6
Current: Indiana -7

The -6 on Indiana (13-0) was snapped up before you could say Fernando Mendoza and climbed quickly. But there are still some 6.5 lines out there, so Hoosiers backers should definitely shop around. Had this game been played immediately after the Big Ten Championship Game, I think this line would be closer to double digits, so I think this line movement is more of a market correction. Remember: Indiana was a heartless killing machine this season, blowing out opponents by 31.1 points per game, which ranked second in the country. Alabama (11-3), meanwhile struggled down the stretch, losing two of its last five games, and was even outgained by Oklahoma in its first-round win.

Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6 Ole Miss (8 p.m. Thursday)

Open: Georgia -6.5
Current: Georgia -6.5

This game is a rematch of one played on Oct. 18, which the Bulldogs (12-1) won, 43-35, in Athens, Ga. In that game Ole Miss took a 35-26 lead into the fourth quarter, but Georgia scored the final 17 points to win. The sportsbooks seem to have nailed this number, as it has barely budged since its initial opening. The juice, however, is heavily weighted on the Bulldogs so Georgia bettors should act now before the line moves to -7.