The College Football Playoffs will be expanded to 12 teams next season. The five best-ranked conference winners and the next seven best-ranked teams will each receive a spot in the field.
The new format adds an additional layer of drama to the 2024 season, as more teams will have a longer shot at the national championship and bettors will have more odds to consider for the CFP markets.
It’s too early to say definitively which teams will make it to the final 12, but the AP preseason poll was released Monday and gives us some insight into how voters view the balance of power today.
If the rankings are similar at the end of the season — which they definitely won’t be — the top four spots will be Georgia (SEC), Ohio State (Big Ten), Florida State (ACC) and Utah (Big 12). And while a fifth conference isn’t represented in the current top 25, Boise State (Mountain West) received the most votes from teams from other conferences, so we’re giving them the fifth and final conference champion spot.
The next seven qualified teams are Oregon, Texas, Alabama, Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Penn St. and Michigan.
So which teams are worth betting on based on these results?
Boise State (+400)
Let’s start with Boise, whose odds to win the Mountain West are -125 and to make the playoffs are +400. The Broncos received 15 more votes in the poll than the next team from a weaker conference, Liberty (C-USA).
Utah (+200)
The Utes move to the Big 12 this year just as Texas and Oklahoma are eliminated, paving the way for a conference title and progress from last season (8-5), which might have been even better without the injuries.
State of Florida (+150)
Plus, even if the Seminoles get a new quarterback, spending money on a team that went undefeated and goalless in the playoffs last year is always a good investment. Even if they miss the ACC title at +300, they have an outside chance of getting in.
Michigan (+125)
Michigan has a lot of turnover, from head coach to quarterback and elsewhere on the roster. But they are still the defending national champions. I would bet +125 on them making the expanded playoffs again any day.
Pittsburgh (+625)
Memphis is a good alternative to Boise and Liberty (which currently has no odds listed) for teams in the race for the fifth spot in the conference championship. They are +210 favorites to win the Americans, which would have put SMU in the playoffs last year if there were 12 teams.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: What the AP preseason rankings tell us about the College Football Playoff’s potential 12-team field and which bets to consider now
