There are only three games remaining in the college football season, which can make the college football futures betting market appear a little threadbare at first glance.   

With just four teams remaining in the College Football Playoff, No. 8-seeded Ohio State is now the runaway favorite (-130 at FanDuel) to win the title in the first year of the 12-team CFP format.

Is Ohio State this much of a sure thing? The sportsbook college football betting odds suggest as much, but the betting markets are always influenced by short memories and bias-tinged lenses.

Most of us are old enough to remember when Ohio State was upset at home 13-10 by an average Michigan team in the regular-season finale, causing the Buckeyes to miss the Big Ten title game and for coach Ryan Day to receive an onslaught of criticism and mockery.

The Buckeyes fell to the CFP No. 8 seed because of the loss, and Tennessee (+7.5) emerged as the most popular spread play in the first round. The Buckeyes rolled 42-17 but, as you're probably aware, their 41-21 win over top-ranked Oregon that rapidly altered the college football betting landscape.

Suddenly, a live look-ahead line of Ohio State -1.5 against Texas soared to -6.5, and the rapid about-face perception of the Buckeyes mirrored that of the UConn Huskies in basketball the past two seasons. That is, Ohio State winning it all is basically a foregone conclusion, and fade the Buckeyes at your own (foolish) risk. 

Does the steam on the Buckeyes allow for a true value position in the CFP futures or point-spread markets? Below, I'll explore this dynamic along with a recommended play. 

Josh Nagel is a Nevada-based handicapper with more than 25 years of experience in the sports wagering industry. SportsLine's assistant managing editor has covered the wagering industry on a variety of platforms and has won numerous sports handicapping contests. He finished the regular season on a 9-4 on his college football picks and has generated a profit of more than $1,000 to SportsLine members. For championship weekend, he released two-unit plays on Georgia (+3) against Texas and Boise State (-3.5) against UNLV. Georgia beat Texas outright 22-19 in the SEC title game, while Boise State rolled to a 21-7 win in the Mountain West title game to give Nagel's followers two easy winners!. Anyone who has followed him is WAY up!

Now, he's turned his attention to the College Football Playoff (see the latest college football lines for each game this week on our college football odds page) and is revealing his betting strategy for the semifinal round below. You ABSOLUTELY need to see who and what he is backing before locking in any college football picks.

Which future bets does Nagel like the best in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff? ... Join SportsLine right now to see the College Football Playoff value selections from the analyst who profited more than $1,000 this season!