Spring practices are done, video from intrasquad scrimmages are being studied, the transfer portal is closed, and college dorms across the country are emptying ahead of summer vacations.
In other words, it’s about to get quiet and lonely for some of the campus protesters living in their North Face tents.
Final exams may be over at most universities, but not for bettors who are studying in advance of college football futures wagers. Those odds are already tightening on some favorites, and with the larger pool of teams in the next College Football Playoffs, the best values are available now.
2025 National Championship Odds
| Team | Opening Odds | Current Odds at Bovada |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Longhorns | +450 | +375 |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | +350 | +450 |
| Georgia Bulldogs | +400 | +500 |
| Oregon Ducks | +1100 | +600 |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | +750 | +900 |
| Penn State Nittany Lions | +1800 | +1500 |
| Tennessee Volunteers | +1200 | +1800 |
| Miami (FL) Hurricanes | +1200 | +1800 |
| Clemson Tigers | +3300 | +2000 |
| Notre Dame Fighting Irish | +5000 | +4000 |
| LSU Tigers | +5000 | +4000 |
| Texas A&M Aggies | +7500 | +6000 |
| Iowa State Cyclones | +25000 | +9000 |
| Missouri Tigers | +5000 | +10000 |
| Kansas State Wildcats | +15000 | +10000 |
| Indiana Hoosiers | +50000 | +12500 |
| Boise State Broncos | +20000 | +15000 |
| USC Trojans | +5000 | +15000 |
| Utah Utes | +5000 | +25000 |
| Oklahoma Sooners | +10000 | +25000 |
| Nebraska Cornhuskers | +30000 | +25000 |
| Kentucky Wildcats | +40000 | +25000 |
| Louisville Cardinals | +12500 | +30000 |
| Michigan Wolverines | +12500 | +30000 |
| Iowa Hawkeyes | +40000 | +35000 |
Value Dropping On Georgia
Georgia backers who have yet to get their wagers down have already lost as much as 25% of their return since lines first went out in January. The Bulldogs opened +400 for a consensus line, and are down to +300 at some of the top NCAAF sportsbooks, others listing them at +325.
Kirby Smart, who tutored under former Alabama head coach Nick Saban from 2007-15, enjoyed a run through the transfer portal to land the deepest roster in college football, plus has the leading Heisman Trophy candidate in quarterback Carson Beck.
Two more former Saban assistants, Steve Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin, have their respective teams among the favorites in both the SEC and CFP.
Texas runs second to Georgia on the odds at the conference level, and third nationally with a return of +900 at some outlets. Sarkisian and the Longhorns also boast a Heisman favorite in QB Quinn Ewers.
Kiffin and Ole Miss will be led by Jaxson Dart, a junior who began his college career at USC. The Rebels are generally priced around +1500 to win their first National Championship.
SEC Dominates CFP Hopefuls
Nobody is surprised to see so many SEC teams among the favorites to win the championship, with 9 schools among the top 20 on current NCAAF odds boards. Still, one can’t help but wonder if the league has become a bit overvalued.
The consensus is a 2-loss team can make it into the CFP, perhaps even a special 3-loss team. But there are only 7 at large openings after the 5 highest-ranked conference champions make it into the bracket, and negotiating an SEC schedule with only 2 losses will be very difficult.
Alabama is fourth in the conference rankings behind Georgia, Texas and Ole Miss. The Crimson Tide were initially second on the CFP odds, but Saban’s retirement sent the price up to +1200.
Brian Kelly, now in his third season at LSU, has the Tigers close behind the Crimson Tide at +1500 to win the CFP.
Tennessee (+3000), Missouri (+3000) and Texas A&M (+4000) follow, plus Oklahoma (+5000) lurks in the shadows and could at least play a huge spoiler role with a schedule that includes Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss, Tennessee and LSU.
Buckeyes & Ducks Lead Big Ten Odds
There are a lot of coaches who enter the 2024 campaign on the hot seat, and the pressure that’s on Ohio State’s Ryan Day puts him at the top of the list. His nemesis at rival Michigan is gone, and Day has an uber-talented roster to rival any that will take the field this season.
Ohio State started the betting as a +800 pick to win the National Championship, but that price has since been cut in half to put the Buckeyes just behind Georgia in the overall picture.
As strange as it sounds, Oregon is seen as Ohio State’s top competition in the Big Ten, and the Ducks have also seen the odds move in their favor from +1200 for openers to the +850 to +1000 range.
Ohio State travels to Eugene to take on Oregon in Week 7 (Oct. 12), a matchup that is generally seen as a preview for the Big Ten Championship.
Michigan, fresh off its unbeaten title run last season, is priced +2000 and higher to successfully defend the title, with Penn State listed in the same range.
Can Dabo & Clemson Roar Back To Prominence?
Notre Dame is the top favorite that is not an SEC or Big Ten team. The Fighting Irish started at +3300, but have since been reduced to +2000 or so.
Though not technically a member of the conference, Notre Dame’s ACC-heavy slate includes a November matchup against league favorite Florida State. The Seminoles took some hits in the transfer portal, and have seen their return rise from +1800 to +2500 to win the CFP prize.
Dabo Swinney and Clemson have remained steady on the odds as a +3000 college football pick to win the National Championship. The Tigers face an incredibly tough season opener with a clash against Georgia in Atlanta, and have a roadie at Florida State in Week 6.
