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Rivalry Week has arrived in the 2025 college football season, and some of the nation's top rivalries have the added incentive of significant College Football Playoff implications tied around them. No. 15 Michigan is fighting for a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, and a win over No. 1 Ohio State in "The Game" would significantly strengthen the Wolverines' resume. Meanwhile, No. 14 Vanderbilt vs. No. 19 Tennessee go head-to-head with the Commodores trying to prove themselves worthy of a CFP spot, and No. 10 Alabama takes on Auburn in the Iron Bowl attempting to secure a spot in the SEC Championship Game, and likely the 2025 College Football Playoff, with a win. The SportsLine advance projection model has picked a side in all three of these matchups, backing a pair of favorites with an underdog in ATS picks to form a Week 14 College Football Playoff contender parlay at FanDuel Sportsbook. The model projects Tennessee (-2.5) and Alabama (-5.5) to cover as favorites, while backing Michigan as a 10.5-point underdog in its College Football Playoff contender parlay at FanDuel on Saturday. 

The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times, and it is profitable on its top-rated money-line and over/under picks since the beginning of the 2024 season. Anybody following those college football betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns.

Three College Football Playoff contender betting picks for Saturday (odds subject to change): 

  • Michigan (+10.5) vs. Ohio State
  • Tennessee (-2.5) vs. Vanderbilt
  • Alabama (-5.5) vs. Auburn

Combining the model's three picks into a College Football Playoff contender parlay at FanDuel would result in a payout of +531 (risk $100 to win $531).

Michigan (+10.5) vs. Ohio State (-118, FanDuel)

Ohio State may be the defending national champions, but Michigan is the most recent winner of a matchup that means even more to some. When your rivalry has been coined simply "The Game", you know it's a big deal, and the latest edition of "The Game" takes place on Saturday at noon. Michigan shocked Ohio State as 19.5-point underdogs to defeat the Buckeyes, 13-10, last season despite going just 7-5 in the regular season last year. 

The spread isn't quite as large this year, but No. 1 Ohio State is still a significant favorite over No. 15 Michigan, and the model views that as too many points to give a 9-2 Wolverines team. Michigan enters on a five-game winning streak as it prepares to host Ohio State on Saturday, and the Wolverines are 5-0 in Ann Arbor this season. Michigan has also won the last four renditions of "The Game", leading the model to project Michigan to cover the spread in 55% of simulations.

Tennessee (-2.5) vs. Vanderbilt (-122, FanDuel)

The Volunteers have won four straight meetings against Vanderbilt, as they have dominated the all-time series with a 79-33-5 head-to-head record. Vanderbilt has been arguably the best story in college football this season, going from 10 straight losing seasons to finishing 7-6 last year and now sitting at 9-2 and one win away from possibly earning a spot in the College Football Playoff. Tennessee is a difficult final hurdle, though, as all three of the Vols' losses have come to teams currently in the top 10 of the CFP rankings. They are 8-0 against all other opponents. Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar is ninth in the nation in passing yards (3,145). Vanderbilt (No. 14) is the higher-ranked of the two with Tennessee at No. 29, but with the Vols having homefield advantage and historic success on their side, the model projects Tennessee to win and cover in 58% of simulations.

Alabama (-5.5) vs. Auburn (-114, FanDuel)

Auburn is 5-6, including 1-6 in the SEC this season, but as shown in Michigan vs. Ohio State last year, shocking results can occur in a rivalry game that one team is treating as its Super Bowl. In a matchup with as much history as the Iron Bowl, the team with the better record won't just simply win because it's been having the better season. However, Alabama has been one of the best teams in the nation since its Week 1 upset loss to Florida State, and enters Saturday at 9-2, including 6-1 in the SEC. Quarterback Ty Simpson has been in the Heisman Trophy race and could be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, as the Crimson Tide have a loaded roster once again. Alabama is 51-37-1 all-time against Auburn, including winning each of the last five matchups. The model expects that trend to continue, also projecting Alabama to cover the spread, with the Crimson Tide covering in 55% of simulations.