Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Early CFP semifinals odds: Who are you backing in Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl?

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated 12/4/23

For many people, December is about decorating the house with twinkling lights and attending debaucherous office parties. But in the sports world, this is the month when college football reigns supreme as bowl games get underway and the road to the CFP championship game becomes more clear.

The exciting weekend of conference championship games has wrapped up and Action Network already has its sights set on the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl on New Year's day.

Here is an early look at the odds for the CFP semifinals.

The #Washington OL vs. the #Texas DL is going to be one of the best match-ups to evaluate in the CFP Semifinals.

LT Troy Fautanu was excellent Friday night vs. Oregon. Outstanding range on the pin-pull design on the 1Q TD. pic.twitter.com/7HrEDaDe1w
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) December 4, 2023

The margin is thin for the 2023 Rose Bowl, as the Michigan Wolverines are 1.5-point favorites at Action Network to beat the Alabama Crimson Tide. Nick Saban's team upset at dominant Georgia Bulldogs squad in the SEC championship game, but it looks like oddsmakers are leaning toward Jim Harbaugh and J.J. McCarthy to advance to the CFP championship game.

As for the Sugar Bowl, Action Network currently lists the Texas Longhorns as 4.5-point favorites to beat the Washington Huskies down in New Orleans. Heisman hopeful Michael Penix Jr. led the Huskies in a thrilling 34-31 win against Bo Nix and the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 championship game, and it will be very interesting to see him go up against a Longhorns team who just upended Oklahoma State 49-21 this last weekend.

As for the favorite to win it all, DraftKings has Michigan listed as the +185 favorite on the moneyline just a couple of days after the conference finals. Alabama is lited at +200, while Texas is priced at +260 and Washington is the +750 longshot.

Start your betting day right! Sign up for Bark Bets, the best sports betting newsletter on the web!

More must-reads: