The College Football Playoff semifinals this season are a bit earlier than usual, on December 28, and will be held at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta and the Fiesta Bowl outside Phoenix. How does the committee decide which semifinal is where? Depends on the top-ranked team as one reward is that it will not be placed in a bowl that is geographically disadvantageous.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

LSU is the No. 1 team and plays No. 4 Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl, and the Tigers know Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta well having beaten Georgia there for the SEC title. It’s a matchup of Heisman Trophy finalists in LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, the runaway winner, and Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts, who finished second in the voting. Both were transfers from other powerhouse schools. LSU is 14-point chalk and has won and covered its past five against Big 12 schools.

The second semifinal features No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Ohio State in a matchup of two of the nation’s best offenses and defenses. Tigers QB Trevor Lawrence was the preseason favorite to win the Heisman but wasn’t a finalist, while OSU had two finalists in QB Justin Fields and defensive end Chase Young. Clemson is a 2-point betting favorite, while the Buckeyes have won and covered their past seven as underdogs.