FanDuel Sportsbook promo for the College Football Playoff quarterfinals: What to know before you bet

The quest for a national champion continues when the College Football Playoff quarterfinals take place this week. The round begins Tuesday, when the No. 3 seed Boise State Broncos take on the sixth-seeded Penn State Nittany Lions in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The remaining three games are on Wednesday, with the first being a matchup between the No. 4 seed Arizona State Sun Devils facing the fifth-seeded Texas Longhorns in the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The third contest pits the top-seeded Oregon Ducks against the No. 8 seed Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl at the stadium with the same name in Pasadena, Cal. Finally, the No. 2 seed Georgia Bulldogs meet the seventh-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

Penn State (12-2) is an 11.5-point favorite against Boise State (12-1) in the latest CFP quarterfinals odds, while Texas (12-2) is a 12.5-point favorite versus Arizona State (11-2). Ohio State (11-2) is favored by 2.5 points over unbeaten Oregon (13-0) and Notre Dame (12-1) is a 1.5-point underdog in its showdown with Georgia (11-2).

People who have a strong opinion on one side of the point spread in one of these games, would like to try betting on college football and do not already have a FanDuel Sportsbook account can take advantage of a welcome bonus for new users. The promo offers new users $250 in bonus bets if they win their first bet.

The FanDuel Sportsbook promo is one of several sportsbook promotions being offered for the CFP quarterfinals. FanDuel’s current welcome bonus offers new players more money in bonus bets than the welcome bonuses of some of their competitors like DraftKings. However, the bonus is not unique in the industry; other online sportsbooks offer similar welcome promotions, and not all are tied to winning the initial bet in order to receive the bonus.  

Penn State vs. Boise State (Tuesday)

• Kickoff time 7:30 p.m. ET
• Point spread Nittany Lions -11.5
• Money line Nittany Lions -430, Broncos +330
• Total 52.5

Picks and more to know

The Broncos are well-rested, as they have been idle since defeating UNLV 21-7 on Dec. 6 for their 11th consecutive victory. Boise State is sixth in the nation in total offense (470.2 yards) and ranks fifth in rushing (250.5), thanks to junior Ashton Jeanty. The Heisman Trophy runner-up is first in the country with 2,497 yards and second with 29 touchdown runs this season. Jeanty needs 132 yards to break the NCAA single-season record set in 1988 by Barry Sanders of Oklahoma State.

Penn State bounced back from a 45-37 loss to Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game to beat SMU 38-10 in the first round of the CFP. Kaytron Allen recorded two of the three rushing TDs by the Nittany Lions, who led 28-0 at halftime and scored their first two touchdowns of the game in interception returns by Dominic DeLuca and Tony Rojas.

The Nittany Lions are among the best defensive teams in the nation, ranking fourth in total defense (280 yards allowed). They rank seventh both against the run (100.4 yards allowed) and in points allowed (15.9), and are 17th versus the pass (179.6 yards allowed). Penn State will need a strong effort against the Broncos, who score an average of 39.1 points per game to rank third in the country.

The SportsLine Projection Model says one team covers in almost 60% of simulations in this matchup, while college football expert Eric Cohen (74-49 in his last 123 college football picks) has a play on the total.

Texas vs. Arizona State (Wednesday)

• Kickoff time 1 p.m. ET
• Point spread Longhorns -12.5
• Money line Longhorns -465, Sun Devils +350
• Total 51.5

Picks and more to know

After dropping a 22-19 decision to Georgia in overtime in the SEC Championship Game, Texas regrouped and posted a 38-24 victory over Clemson in the first round of the CFP. The Longhorns used their ground attack to defeat the Tigers as Jaydon Blue (146) and Quintrevion Wisner (110) both ran for over 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Wisner leads Texas in rushing with 973 yards and has reached triple digits in three of his last four outings.

Quinn Ewers completed 17-of-24 pass attempts for 202 yards with a TD and an interception in the win. Ewers has thrown for 2,867 yards and 26 touchdowns for the Longhorns, who are 15th in the nation in total offense (448.9 yards) and 17th in passing (275.4). The team also is strong on the other side of the ball, ranking third in total defense (261.1 yards allowed), second against the pass (156.9), 11th against the run (104.2) and second in points allowed (13.3).

Arizona State has been off since cruising past Iowa State 45-19 in the Big 12 Championship Game. Sam Leavitt threw for 219 yards and three touchdowns for the Sun Devils, while Cam Skattebo ran for 170 yards and a pair of scores. Skattebo, who also caught a TD pass in the triumph, is sixth in the country with 1,568 yards on the ground.

The SportsLine Projection Model says one team covers in almost 60% of simulations in this matchup, while Texas expert Josh Nagel (23-12 in his last 35 picks in Texas games) also has a pick on the spread.

Ohio State vs. Oregon (Wednesday)

• Kickoff time 5 p.m. ET
• Point spread Buckeyes -2.5
• Money line Buckeyes -132, Ducks +110
• Total 55.5

Picks and more to know

The Buckeyes have a chance to avenge one of their two losses this year, a 32-31 setback at Oregon on Oct. 12 in which it owned a two-point lead with less than two minutes remaining. Ohio State rebounded from its other defeat, a 13-10 loss to Michigan in its regular-season finale, with a 42-17 rout of Tennessee in the first round of the CFP.

Will Howard was 24-of-29 for 311 yards and two touchdowns — both to freshman Jeremiah Smith, who hauled in a total of six passes for 103 yards. Both had impressive showings against the Ducks in their previous meeting, with Howard throwing for 326 yards and two scores and Smith making nine catches for 100 yards and a TD. 

TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins both ran for a pair of touchdowns against Tennessee, while Ohio State limited the Volunteers to 256 yards of offense – including 104 through the air. The Buckeyes are first in the nation in total defense (242.2 yards allowed), passing defense (141.2) and points allowed (11.4).

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel came up with one of his best efforts of the season in the win over Ohio State, throwing for 341 yards and two TDs while also running for a score. Evan Stewart has just one reception in his last two games but hauled in seven passes for 149 yards and a touchdown against the Buckeyes. Jordan James, who rushed for 115 yards and a TD in that triumph, has been kept out of the end zone in only two of his 13 outings this season.

The SportsLine Projection Model says one team covers in almost 60% of simulations in this matchup, while college football expert Eric Cohen (74-49 in his last 123 college football picks) has a play on the total.

Notre Dame vs. Georgia (Wednesday)

• Kickoff time 8:45 p.m. ET
• Point spread Bulldogs -1.5
• Money line Bulldogs -122, Fighting Irish +102
• Total 45.5

Picks and more to know

The Bulldogs come off their SEC Championship victory against Texas in search of their third national title in four years. Kirby Smart’s team has won four straight CFP games, the longest active streak in FBS. Sophomore quarterback Gunner Stockton will make his first career start in place of Carson Beck, who suffered a season-ending elbow injury versus the Longhorns and declared for the 2025 NFL Draft on Saturday.

Stockton completed 12-of-16 attempts for 71 yards with an interception after replacing Beck in the conference title game and is 37-of-51 for 354 yards, two TDs and two interceptions in his career. He’ll be hoping Georgia’s ground attack can come up big as its average of 129.1 rushing yards is its lowest since 2006, when it gained 127.4 per game. Nate Frazier leads the Bulldogs with 634 yards while Trevor Etienne has racked up 571 along with a team-high nine touchdowns.

Notre Dame defeated Indiana 27-17 in the first round of the CFP for its 11th consecutive victory as Jeremiyah Love ran for 108 yards and a TD. The sophomore has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in three of his last four outings and rushed for a score in each of the Fighting Irish’s 13 games this season. Love had one touchdown run in 13 contests during his 2023 freshman campaign.

The SportsLine Projection Model says one team covers in over 50% of simulations in this matchup, while Georgia expert Josh Nagel (17-5 in his last 22 picks in Georgia games) also has a pick on the spread.

Explaining the FanDuel college football promo

The FanDuel welcome promo comes with a few terms and conditions. First, you must be a new FanDuel customer who has never signed up for the platform anywhere. For example, if you previously signed up in Michigan, you wouldn’t be eligible to sign up for a new account and claim the welcome bonus in Pennsylvania or any other state. You also must be at least 21 years old to sign up and claim the FanDuel promo.

After you register, you must deposit a minimum of $5. Your first bet with the offer must be for $5 or more. After placing this bet, and settling it as a win, your account will be credited with $250 in bonus bets.

After receiving the bonus bets, you have seven days to use them before they expire. The bonus bets work as they do at other online sports betting sites. They can be viewed as site credit with zero cash value. Once you use them, you never recover that value. For example, if you place a $100 bet using bonus bets, a win grants you only the profit and not your stake back.

These bonus bets only have a one-time wagering requirement. After you bet through the bonus bets once, you can start withdrawing the money won from those bets.

Claiming the FanDuel Sportsbook welcome bonus

New users to the FanDuel Sportsbook interested in claiming the sign-up bonus bonus can follow these outlined steps:

1. Claim the FanDuel promo via this link.
2. Once on FanDuel’s website, click JOIN NOW.
3. Enter the requested information and allow FanDuel to verify your identity and location.
4. Make a first deposit of at least $5 to ensure qualification for the promo.
5. Place a first wager of $5 or more.

If the bet wins, the new user will receive $250 in bonus bets. If it loses, no bonus bets would be rewarded.

Responsible gambling

FanDuel is dedicated to promoting responsible gambling. The sportsbook offers a range of tools that can be used to manage gaming activity. This includes the ability to limit the amount of deposits or wagers, to limit the time spent gambling and the option to exclude yourself from gambling for a period of time. 

There are additional resources available too, such as: