College Football Playoff Semifinals Opening Lines: Orange, Cotton Bowls

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Based on results from the 2024-25 College Football Playoff's first round and quarterfinals, the NCAA should have kept the four-team playoff. Granted, all four semifinal teams were outside the top-four seeds, so maybe fewer teams isn't the answer. 

Either way, seven of the first eight CFP games in the inaugural 12-team playoff have ended by double-digit margins. But, the best way to guarantee excitement in the CFP is to gamble on it. With that in mind, here are the opening odds for the Orange and Cotton Bowls. 

2024-25 College Football Playoff Semifinals Opening Lines

The odds are courtesy of DraftKings as of 7:45 p.m. ET Thursday, January 2. 

Orange Bowl Thursday, January 9

#7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (13-1) vs. #6 Penn State Nittany Lions (13-2) at 7:30 p.m. ET

  • Moneyline (ML): Notre Dame (-120) | Penn State (+100)
  • Spread: Fighting Irish -1.5 (-108) | Nittany Lions +1.5 (-112)
  • Total — 47.5 — Over (-112) | Under (-108)

Notre Dame's two CFP wins are #10 Indiana Hoosiers 27-17 in the first round and #2 Georgia Bulldogs 23-10 in the Sugar Bowl in the quarterfinals. Penn State demolished #11 SMU 38-10 in the first round and handled #3 Boise State 31-14 in the Fiesta Bowl in the quarterfinals. 

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish face the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl Thursday, January 9 in the 2024-25 College Football Playoff. (Amber Searls-Imagn Images)

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish face the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl Thursday, January 9 in the 2024-25 College Football Playoff. (Amber Searls-Imagn Images)

Cotton Bowl Friday, January 10

#8 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-2) vs. #5 Texas Longhorns (13-2) at 7:30 p.m. ET

  • Moneyline: Ohio State (-225) | Texas (+185)
  • Spread: Buckeyes -6 (-110) | Longhorns +6 (-110)
  • Total — 53.5 — Over (-110) | Under (-110)

The Buckeyes blasted their first two CFP victims: #9 Tennessee 42-17 in the first round and #1 Oregon 41-21 in the Rose Bowl in the quarterfinals. Texas cruised past #12 Clemson 38-24 in the first round before eking past #4 Arizona State 39-31 in a double-overtime instant classic in the Peach Bowl in the quarterfinals. 

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