When I worked for ESPN full time, I put out a weekly article entitled the Vegas Power Ratings. I still have all the sources that I used to produce that article as it featured my plus/minus ratings which closely resemble Vegas’s numbers as well as three different casinos including the fine folks over at the Westgate Las Vegas Sportsbook @SuperBookSports.

This is not the AP poll but gives you an idea of how much teams would be favored over another team if they met on a neutral field. I use these to get an idea of lines on upcoming games. Keep in mind just because a team beat someone last week does not mean they would be favored over them in the Vegas ratings. AP voters must vote that way, but Vegas does not. I will update these each week during the year as always.

Last year all the controversy is about Florida State being left out of the playoffs but if Vegas was picking the final four team’s they would have left them out as well. Florida State was #15 in the Vegas Power ratings prior to the bowl games! All season long I said Vegas does not care about record or who beat who it just establishes who it thinks is the stronger team and who would be favored against whom.

Oregon has had two average performances and dropped from #3 in the AP poll to #9 but remained  #5 in the Vegas Poll and two weeks ago looked like the team they were expected to be. Georgia has dropped from the #1 Spot in the AP poll two weeks ago but they would still be favored over any team on a neutral field and remain #1 in the Vegas Poll. Notre Dame is #16 in the AP poll but #9 in the Vegas Poll last week. Last week Missouri was #7 in the AP Poll but #13 in the Vegas Poll. This week they are #11 AP after a OT escape vs Vanderbilt. AP Voters had to rank Michigan ahead of USC because they beat them head to head at home last week on a last second score. The Vegas Poll still have USC at #11 and Michigan at #21 and if they played at a neutral site USC would be a 5.5 favorite.

Here is the week five edition of the 2024 Vegas Power Ratings!