It’s the day everyone has been waiting for: College Football Playoff Saturday. All eyes will be on Atlanta and Glendale, as the two semifinals kick off. No. 1 LSU faces off with the 4th-seeded Oklahoma in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, while 2nd-seeded Ohio State squares off with Clemson in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl. Before we can look ahead to the possibilities of which of the four will win the National Championship, we have to look at the six prop bets to play in the 2019 CFP semifinals.
LSU Tigers to score first: -180
Both the Tigers and Sooners feature high scoring offenses, but LSU might have the advantage on the defensive side of the ball. That plays into the fact that LSU has a real shot at not only taking care of business in this match-up. The Tigers have a real shot to not only score a lot in this game, but they have the personnel on both sides to open the scoring quickly. Behind their strong defense, and a Heisman winning quarterback its a safe bet to back LSU to strike first.
Joe Burrow Over 350.5 passing yards: -111
LSU features one of the best all-around teams in the country this season, and now they get to prove themseleves against an Oklahoma team that also feels like it is among the best. Joe Burrow enters as the Heisman winner, can he avoid the Heisman curse? Luckily for him, he has some of the best contributors surrounding him, especially on offense. Backing Burrow to have over 3.5 touchdowns and pass for more than 350 yards is a must-have on the betting slip.
Jalen Hurts Over 74.5 rushing yards: +105
Oklahoma shouldn’t be counted out by any means in their clash with LSU. The biggest reason is who is behind center for the Sooners. That is Jalen Hurts, who has continued the Sooner tradition of leading them to the playoffs for a fourth straight year. He didn’t win the Heisman like his two predecessors, but he has a chance to do something they were unable to do. Hurts never lost to the Tigers in his time at Alabama, but they were also some of the worst games of his career. Hurts will need to have a Heisman type of game if he wants to lead the Sooners to the upset. LSU should ultimately outlast Oklahoma but Jalen hurts rushing for more than 74.5 yards is a worthy prop bet.
JK Dobbins Over 128.5 rushing yards: +105
Out west in the Desert, a pair of undefeated teams square off in the Fiesta Bowl for the second time in the last four seasons. Clemson and Ohio State met in this same environment the last time the Buckeyes reached the playoffs. The Tigers shutout the Buckeyes on that night en route to a national title. All eyes will be on the Justin Fields vs Trevor Lawrence match-up, but the running back position might be the real key in this duel. Travis Etienne will be a tough stop for the Buckeyes defense, but Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins could be in a position to take over this game. He will be the key for the Buckeyes to get the job done in Glendale.
Clemson Tigers to Score first: -130
Clemson has scored 30 or more points in eight straight games. A fast start could be the key for the Tigers to repeat their performance from 2016. This match-up like the LSU-Oklahoma match-up could very well be a shootout. The Buckeyes might be able to sneak out the victory ultimately, but the Tigers are still a good bet to strike first.
Trevor Lawrence Under 274.5 passing yards: -143
Trevor Lawrence is a proven winner, and there is no one questioning that, but early on this season, he had a struggle with turnovers. He has come along way since then and the Tigers have a real shot at winning a third national title in the last four seasons. Of the four quarterbacks in the CFP, he is lone player that didn’t go to New York for the Heisman trophy. He has a little bit lower numbers than his counterparts, which is why a lean towards him not quite reaching more than 274.5 passing yards in this match-up is a worthy play. Especially with a hungry Buckeye defense chasing him.
