The Miami Hurricanes have achieved an extraordinary feat, overcoming substantial odds to secure a place in the final four of the College Football Playoff. Just a week prior to the final rankings announced on December 7, Miami, sitting with two losses, had odds of 10-1 to make the playoffs and approximately 150-1 to clinch the national championship.
This remarkable December has seen the Hurricanes transform from long shots to one of the leading contenders in the playoff landscape. They are now positioned as 2.5-point favorites against Ole Miss in the upcoming semifinal matchup, while Indiana is favored by 4 points over Oregon in the other semifinal.
Miami”s journey has included a hard-fought victory over Notre Dame, which paved their way into the playoff, followed by back-to-back upsets, culminating in a wire-to-wire triumph against the defending champion Ohio State Buckeyes.
The loss suffered by Ohio State proved to be a significant blow for the betting community, as the Buckeyes had attracted the most bets and money to win the national championship across multiple sportsbooks this season. In contrast, outside of Florida, the Hurricanes did not enjoy as much betting interest, particularly after their two losses in a three-week span leading into November.
However, within the Sunshine State, faith in the Hurricanes remained strong. On November 30, when Miami”s odds were 150-1 to win the national championship, a bettor placed a $2,500 wager with Hard Rock Bet, hoping for a net win of $375,000. Hard Rock, the sole licensed sportsbook in Florida, has experienced a surge of betting activity on Miami throughout the season.
The Hurricanes” impressive victory over Ohio State attracted more betting volume than any other game this season at Hard Rock, with the earlier matchup against Notre Dame following closely behind. More bets have been placed on Miami to win the national championship than on any other team at Hard Rock Bet.
Neil Walsh, senior vice president of Hard Rock Bet, commented on the situation, stating, “When it comes to national title liability, it”s all about the U. Miami has been our most popular team all year, and because futures were written at much longer prices than past Florida title runs, the liability is on another level.”
