Miami vs. Ole Miss odds, line: 2026 College Football Playoff picks for semifinal matchup from proven expert

The Miami Hurricanes and Ole Miss Rebels will meet in the 2026 Fiesta Bowl on Thursday, with a spot in the College Football National Championship Game on the line. This CFP semifinal matchup will be the programs' fourth all-time matchup but their first since 1951. Miami (12-2) upset Ohio State, 24-14, in its last game after winning at Texas A&M to begin the College Football Playoff. Ole Miss (13-1) avenged its lone loss of the year to Georgia by knocking off the Bulldogs, 39-34, in the CFP quarterfinals after defeating Tulane in the first round.

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Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The Canes won all three previous matchups, which all came in Miami. The Hurricanes are 3.5-point favorites in the latest Miami vs. Ole Miss odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 51.5.

Before making any Ole Miss vs. Miami picks, be sure to check out what SportsLine expert Tom Fornelli has to say.

A CBS Sports writer since 2010, the entertaining Fornelli is perhaps best known for his college football expertise. Fornelli co-hosts the popular Cover 3 Podcast and appears regularly on CBS Sports HQ. You'll get maximum access to Fornelli's picks only on SportsLine. 

Fornelli's dedication to analysis of all levels of college football has helped him go 8-2 (+615) on his last 10 picks in Miami games. Anyone who has followed him could be WAY UP!

Fornelli has analyzed Miami vs. Ole Miss and is leaning Under on the total, and he's found a critical x-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. 

Who wins Ole Miss vs. Miami, and what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread hit hard? Join SportsLine here to find out which side of the Miami vs. Ole Miss spread to back, all from the expert who is on an 8-2 (+615) run on his college football picks!

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