CFB Odds Preview: Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl

The College Football Playoff gets started on Saturday, with the winners of the Fiesta Bowl and the Peach Bowl moving on to the National Championship Game.

In the Fiesta Bowl the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Clemson Tigers as a 3-point favorite at the Bovada sportsbook.

The Buckeyes finished off the regular season 11-1 straight up, but only 6-6 against the spread. They head into the Fiesta Bowl on a five-game winning streak, with a 2-3 record ATS. They’ve been a horrible pick for bettors in the last few months at 2-6 ATS in their last eight games.

Clemson was 12-1 SU this season and 6-7 ATS. They were only listed as the underdog once this season, a 42-36 win over the Louisville Cardinals as a 1-point underdog. As the underdog the Tigers have won five straight ATS with a 3-2 mark SU. In their last 13 games as an underdog the Tigers are 10-3 ATS. Clemson is also 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS in its last five games against the Big Ten.

The Buckeyes and Tigers have clashed in bowl season before in the 2014 Orange Bowl. Clemson was a 2.5-point underdog in the game and delivered a 40-35 upset win. In 39 bowl appearances the Tigers are 20-19 SU and they’ve covered the spread in their last five. Ohio State is 23-24 SU in 47 bowl games. In five appearances in the Fiesta Bowl the Buckeyes are 5-2 SU, including a 44-28 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 2015.

Over in the Peach Bowl the Alabama Crimson Tide face the Washington Huskies as a 14.5-point favorite.

The Crimson Tide finished the regular season undefeated and on a 24-game winning streak. Alabama was 9-4 ATS in 13 games this season and during their streak they are 15-9 ATS.

Washington was 12-1 SU this season and 7-6 ATS. Their only loss came against the USC Trojans, 26-13 as a 9.5-point favorite. Last time out in the Pac 12 title game they throttled the Colorado Buffaloes 41-10 as an 8-point favorite.

In 36 bowl games the Huskies are 18-17-1 SU. Alabama has appeared in 64 bowl games, going 37-24-3 SU. In their last eight bowl games the Crimson Tide are 6-2 SU and 5-3 ATS.

Alabama and Washington haven’t met in 30 years. In the 1986 Sun Bowl Alabama rolled to a 28-6 victory.