College Football Picks Today: Best Bets for CFP Round 1 (Dec. 21)

By John Hyslop in College Football
Published:

- The first round of the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff will be held this weekend
- We have to get as much action as possible on these games to show our appreciation for the event
- Check out my favorite two CFP bets of the first round below
Last week, I made a vow to get back to profitability in College Football, and we’re almost there. We swept the board; another sweep this Saturday will get us back to green land. (Not the country).
Here’s the thing: I didn’t even get to the good part yet. It’s actually the great part. Looking at the schedule, we have an absolute bomb for the noon game between the SMU Mustangs and Penn State Nittany Lions. Once they’re done, we’ll turn the channel to the Clemson Tigers/Texas Longhorns matchup, where we’ll see our other bomb blow up in the face of the books.
This could easily be the greatest Saturday of our lives.
College Football Playoff Odds
Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
---|---|---|---|
SMU Mustangs | Â +8.5 (-108) | +250 | O 53.5 (-110) |
Penn State Nittany Lions | -8.5 (-112) | -315 | U 53.5 (-110) |
Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
Clemson Tigers | Â +11.5 (-105) | +365 | O 51.5 (-112) |
Texas Longhorns | Â -11.5 (-115) | -480 | U 51.5 (-108) |
All odds as of Dec. 21 from ESPNBet & FanDuel. Claim the FanDuel promo code to sign up and tail our picks.Â

Kevin Jennings Goes Wild
When we’re looking for a player prop, we need a guy that we know we can trust. We can’t risk watching an entire game of football, only to see our guy let not only us, but our pockets down as well. It’s an affliction many of us have suffered from in the past and it needs to stop.
Lucky for us, Kevin Jennings has never let me down in his entire life. Not one time.
“The special thing about Kevin [Jennings] he has that unique ability to be incredibly confident.”
SMU HC Rhett Lashlee lays out to @PatMcAfeeShow how no moment is too big for his QB 👀 pic.twitter.com/gsE8t3V2aA
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 18, 2024
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of watching Kevin Jennings play football, you know exactly why we’re betting on him. The kid is filthy. What’s even better is, the books still refuse to admit that his greatness is real. It’s a damn shame if you ask me.
A lot of people are going to say that his over 223.5 passing yards is the lock of the century. That might be true, and if we’re being honest, we should take that too, but I’m more interested in his passing touchdowns. The line looks like a cry for help from the books.
The idea that FanDuel is handing out +158 for 2+ passing touchdowns is absurd. For starters, Kevin has done this in six of his last seven games. It’s what he does. On top of that, every borderline decent quarterback Penn State has seen this season has thrown at least two TDs against them. Dillon Gabriel just slung four against them last week. This is almost too easy.
(If you can’t do NCAAF Player Props, just take the SMU Team Total Over 21.5. That’s hitting, too.)
The Pick: Kevin Jennings 2+ Passing TDs (+158) – FanDuel
Quintrevion Wisner Is All Gas, No Brakes
We’ll likely have a ton of time between bets since Kevin is going to cash his number in the first half, so we’ll need to schedule an activity. If there is something you have to do around the house, I’d plan on doing it from 1:30-3:30 this Saturday. We need to be efficient on these streets.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure to wrap it up in plenty of time to get to a television for the Quintrevion Wisner show. This is must-see stuff.
MONSTER game from @TexasFootball RB Quintrevion Wisner. Nearly 200 yds rushing in the win. pic.twitter.com/U3xdBqrPbK
— Holly Rowe (@sportsiren) December 1, 2024
I’m not a big rushing prop guy, but if push comes to shove, I’ll take one. I’m not scared. The beauty of this one is, there is no chance the books can properly price this thing. It’s not their fault, though. I’ll explain.
This Wisner kid took over the lead-back duties for Texas just a few weeks ago. He was barely getting touches, then, all of a sudden, he was flushed with opportunity. The season is legit playing out like a Disney movie for him. That’s pretty cool if you like Disney movies.
Since taking over the Texas backfield, Wisner has carried the ball 20+ times twice. He went for at least 158 yards in both games. This week, he is going to see a Clemson Tigers team that has a Charmin soft run defense. We’re talking 77th in the nation, people. My guess is Texas just runs them into the ground with Wisner. I’d be shocked if he doesn’t go for at least 200+ rushing yards in this game. We only need 90. Feels right.
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- The Pick: Quintrevion Wisner 90+ Rushing Yards (+106) – FanDuel
- 2024 NCAAF SBD Release Results – 11-15 (-2.04 Units)
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John has spent the past 20+ years betting sports on a daily basis and is considered by many to be a walking sports betting encyclopedia. From obscure player props to sides and totals, if there is an angle, John will find it.