Who’s Florida Betting on for the College Football Playoff?

Hard Rock Bet is the exclusive provider of legal sports betting in Florida, and with the new, expanded College Football Playoff kicking off this leaves us uniquely positioned to take the pulse of the Florida betting public. So, how’s Florida feeling about the playoffs?

Just like the college football season, it’s a bit of a rollercoaster! The Miami Hurricanes, who were Hard Rock Bet’s most-bet team during the regular season, just missed the cut for the 12-team field. Bummer, right? But don’t worry, Florida found a new favorite in top-ranked Oregon. The Ducks have waddled their way into the hearts of bettors across the state, with the majority of bets in 38 of Florida’s 67 counties calling them the future champs.

It took all season, but fans located in the meccas of college football throughout the state – Gainesville, Tallahassee, Miami, Tampa, and Orlando – all finally agree on a team to support: the Oregon Ducks. But head up toward the Florida-Georgia line, and things start to get spicy. The closer you get to Bulldog territory, the more bets shift to the SEC champs, Georgia.

Cinderella in the CFP?

The CFP rankings stirred up plenty of debate, and the path to the championship got trickier for some teams once those coveted byes were handed out. While our players’ bets mostly align with the top-ranked teams, things get wild when you dig deeper. Chaos is the name of the game, with Hard Rock Bet’s most-bet teams including unexpected dark horses like Boise State and Arizona State, both landing in the top half of all bets. Who doesn’t love a little underdog drama?

College Football Playoff betting insights

Hungry for more College Football Playoff betting insights? We’ve got you covered:

Most bet CFP game: Indiana @ Notre Dame

Indiana’s visit to South Bend to take on Notre Dame in the quarter finals of the CFP has attracted the largest number of bets. Of those placed, 74% of the moneyline wagers are on Notre Dame, and 55% of the spread bets are on the Irish.

Most bet underdog in the CFP: Tennessee @ Ohio State

When we last saw Ohio State in action they suffered an embarassing loss to unranked Michigan, losing their place in the B1G Championship Game in the process… and it seems that the bettors haven’t forgotten.

56% of the winner bets placed on the game are on Tennessee, while 59% of bettors are backing the Vols to cover, making them the most popular underdog in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Highest betting total in the CFP: SMU @ Penn State

SMU is facing Penn State on Friday night and the over/under has been set at 54 points, making it the highest game total of the opening round of the tournament… and 85% of Florida bettors are on the over.

For what it’s worth, bettors also like the Nittany Lions with 60% of the moneyline wagers backing the home team and 58% of the spread bets also landing on Penn State to cover.

Even Spread: Clemson @ Texas

The narrowest margin of spread wagers belongs to the Clemson – Texas contest. While 64% of the moneyline bets are on Texas to win outright, action on the spread is close with just 53% backing the Longhorns to cover.

Bowl games with Florida teams

Three Florida schools are in action during college football bowl season: The Florida Gators, South Florida Bulls, and the Miami Hurricanes.

• December 19: Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa) – Florida vs Tulane
  • 94% of moneyline wagers on Florida, while 83% of Florida bettors think the Gators will cover. Yea, you could say Hard Rock Bet players are excited about the Gators 3-game winning streak.
• December 24: Hawai’i Bowl – South Florida vs San Jose State
  • Just 43% of winner bets are on the Bulls (the underdog), while spread wagers are split 50/50.
• December 28: Pop-Tarts Bowl (Orlando) – Miami vs Iowa State
  • It’s no surprise that Hard Rock Bet’s most-bet college football team of the regular season is carrying momentum into bowl season. The ‘Canes are receiving 91% of moneyline bets for the Pop-Tarts Bowl, and 87% of spread wagers are backing them to cover.

College football bowl games in Florida

In addition to the Gasparilla Bowl and the Pop-Tarts Bowl that feature teams from the Sunshine state, there are five additional, upcoming college football bowl games taking place in Florida:

• December 19: Cure Bowl (Orlando) – Ohio vs Jacksonville State
  • 68% of winner bets on Ohio, 64% of bets on Ohio to cover
• December 31: ReliaQuest Bowl (Tampa) – Alabama vs Michigan
  • 88% of bets on Alabama to win, even 50/50 split on spread wagers
• December 31: Citrus Bowl (Orlando) – South Carolina vs Illinois
  • 92% of moneyline wagers on South Carolina, 57% of spread bets say the Gamecocks cover
• January 2: Gator Bowl (Jacksonville) – Duke vs Ole Miss
  • 95% of winner bets on Ole Miss, 75% of spread wagers on Ole Miss to cover
• January 7: Orange Bowl (Miami) – College Football Playoff Semifinal, Teams TBD

Betting data as of Thursday, December 19, 2024.

Bowl season is betting season

Hard Rock Bet is the betting app in the state of Florida, offering tons of available markets on every bowl game through the CFP National Championship game on January 20th. Sign up today and claim the new player bonus, no Hard Rock Bet promo code required.