Sports bettors have an exciting College Football Playoff tripleheader to look forward to in 2026, featuring two of the top programs playing late-day games. The Alabama Crimson Tide will face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Rose Bowl at 4 p.m. ET, followed by two quarterfinal CFP matchups with the Georgia Bulldogs taking on the Ole Miss Rebels at the Sugar Bowl at 8 p.m. ET. New users at DraftKings Sportsbook can take advantage of a promo code offering $200 in bonus bets if their first $5 bet wins. Despite Alabama having three losses and Indiana being undefeated, SportsLine’s advanced computer model favors Alabama by seven points, making it one of the best bets on DraftKings for Thursday.
The model also highlights a strong NBA bet for Thursday: backing the Dallas Mavericks to upset the Philadelphia 76ers, who are +114 underdogs. SportsLine’s expert also recommends Georgia over Ole Miss. By combining these three picks into a DraftKings parlay, bettors could earn +693 odds, risking $100 to win $693.
In detail, Alabama is a surprising seven-point underdog despite its reputation, but with Indiana undefeated and having secured the No. 1 seed through the Big Ten championship, the match is poised to be intense. Alabama’s junior quarterback Ty Simpson has shown significant skill this season with 3,500 yards and 28 touchdowns, and the program is experienced in high-pressure CFP environments. The model predicts Alabama will cover the spread in 63% of simulations.
In the NBA, the Mavericks are coming off three straight losses—all on the road—and will be playing at home Thursday. They have a strong home record, having won their last five home games, including a comeback against the Nuggets. Center Anthony Davis, out for two games, has returned, boosting the team’s prospects. The 76ers have lost three of their last four games, and the model predicts a 62% chance of a Mavericks win despite their underdog status.
For the Georgia vs. Ole Miss game, expert Tom Fornelli points out Ole Miss’s weak defense and believes Georgia’s high-scoring offense will dominate this time around.
Those interested in more picks for college football, NBA, NFL, college basketball, NHL, and more can find detailed predictions from a model that simulates each game 10,000 times for accuracy.
Fan Take: This news is thrilling for basketball fans because it highlights an underdog Mavericks squad with a real shot at taking down a strong 76ers team, potentially shaking up early NBA season expectations. Plus, with advanced modeling backing these bets, fans can feel more confident in their picks, adding excitement to every game.
