The official 2025 College Football Playoff bracket will be revealed on Sunday. There is still some intrigue heading into the conference championship about which team will earn that final spot. Right now, Notre Dame is at 10 with Miami, BYU and James Madison still in the mix to make the 12-team field. 

Bettors don’t have to wait for the bracket to be finalized. FanDuel Sportsbook has different playoff markets so we can hunt for value before the matchups are set.

Here are a few early CFP bets to make prior to Sunday’s announcement.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish to make CFP quarterfinals (-105)

My favorite bet right now is Notre Dame to make the quarterfinals. Let’s get one thing out of the way first: Notre Dame is in the field. I’ve been saying since the Irish started 0-2 that if they ran the table, there is no way the committee keeps them out with two early losses to Miami and Texas A&M by a combined four points. I’m not arguing if Notre Dame should or shouldn’t be in the field, I’m going by what I believe the committee will do on Sunday. 

Assuming the Irish are in the CFP, they will either be seeded ninth or 10th, depending what happens to Alabama in the SEC Championship. Based on the current bracket, Notre Dame would play Texas A&M. If they move up to ninth, it’s probably Oklahoma. I like Georgia to win the SEC Championship and I would make the Irish favorites over the Sooners. If that ends up being the matchup, I feel really good about the bet. 

The bottom line is I believe Notre Dame is playing well enough right now to win at least one game in the CFP. Whether it’s Texas A&M or Oklahoma, we are getting good value at -105 for the Irish to reach the quarterfinals. 

Texas Tech Red Raiders to make CFP semifinals (-110)

One thing I feel confident in is Texas Tech will be the No. 3 or No. 4 seed. In either scenario, I like the Red Raiders to win a game in the CFP and reach the semifinals. 

The reason I am so high on the Red Raiders is because they dominate in the trenches and that ultimately wins close games most of the time. Texas Tech ranks second in havoc (tackles for loss, passes defended) and defensive success rate. The Red Raiders’ defensive line is constantly in the backfield either pressuring the quarterback or stuffing running backs. 

Now, let’s look at the potential matchups. If Texas Tech stays at No. 4, it likely faces Oregon. If the Red Raiders move up to No. 3, it is likely to play Ole Miss. I like the Red Raiders in either of those games. I don’t think this is a great Oregon team. The Ducks faced one defense this season in Indiana with a similar profile to Texas Tech. The Hoosiers held Oregon to 20 points and just 267 total yards. 

Given the situation with Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss, the Rebels are in a tough spot. Maybe the players rally and make a deep playoff run. However, losing a head coach right before the playoff isn’t ideal. It’s more likely the Rebels get upset in the first round than reach the semifinals. 

Both of my bets with Notre Dame and Texas Tech involve them winning one game to cash. Considering how high I rate both teams heading into the playoffs, I like our chances. 

Georgia Bulldogs to win National Championship (+750)

Ohio State looks like the best team in the country, although I believe the playoff is wide open this season. One thing I always look for in college basketball is teams peaking late in the season. It really doesn’t matter what a CBB team does in November heading into March Madness. 

It’s not the exact same with football but with the expanded playoff, there is some merit betting a team playing its best in December. Georgia and Notre Dame are two teams peaking at the right time. 

I was concerned back in September when Tennessee was running up and down the field against Georgia’s defense. Since allowing 35 points to Ole Miss on Oct. 18, the Bulldogs are giving up an average of 12.6 points. 

Some of that is who the Bulldogs played, although I was really impressed with the defensive front in wins over Texas and Georgia Tech. I am also a fan of quarterback Gunner Stockton. He isn’t always spectacular but Stockton rarely turns the ball over and plays his best late in tight games. That’s something the Bulldogs have lacked since Stetson Bennett graduated. 

We’ll see if Georgia can finally get past Alabama in the SEC Championship. I like the Bulldogs’ chances of winning it all as a No. 2 or No. 3 seed at +750 if they win against Alabama.

James Madison Dukes to make CFP (+156)

Here is what needs to happen for James Madison to make the CFP. They win impressively as 23-point favorites over Troy and Duke upsets Virginia at 3.5-point underdogs. The committee isn’t putting Duke in with five losses. That would make a mockery of the sport and the ACC has already done that for us. 

I like James Madison to win big in the Sun Belt Championship. Troy isn’t even the second-best team in the conference. That’s Old Dominion but for some reason, the Sun Belt still has divisions in 2025. The Monarchs are in the same division as James Madison, so it’s the Trojans in the title game, despite the fact ODU routed them 33-0 on Nov. 13. 

While I think Virginia wins the ACC title, it’s far from a certainty. So James Madison is likely a small upset away from making the playoff. The Dukes are worth a shot at +156 to get into the field.Â