2021 National Championship Odds: Top Teams Continue To Win

With the Big Ten getting underway last week, the Ohio State Buckeyes, who sat second on the oddsboard, showed why the sportsbooks were giving them love before they stepped foot on the field. OSU trampled Nebraska 52-17. 

However, the Buckeyes’ odds slipped slightly from last week, while the favorite in national championship odds, Clemson, remained so following a 47-21 triumph over Syracuse.

Online sportsbook Bovada has released the 2020-21 national championship odds and has listed Clemson as the +125 favorite. The Tigers are followed by Alabama at +300, Ohio State at +325, Georgia at +1300 and Florida at +2000 to round out the top five teams on the oddsboard.

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2020-21 College Football National Championship Odds

Odds as of October 27 at Bovada

New to the college football scene? Check out our handy college football betting guide to help you get in the action. Also, keep an eye on our College Football Odds page for the latest up-to-date betting lines.

Clemson Continues To Roll

It has been a relatively stress-free 2020 campaign for Clemson as it has jumped out to a 6-0 start, outscoring opponents 289-81. The Tigers knocked off the first of two ranked opponents on their schedule when they topped then-No. 7 Miami 42-17 on October 10. 

Trevor Lawrence, the Heisman Trophy hopeful and projected first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, remains absolutely on fire. The junior QB has completed 70.7 percent of his passes for 1,833 yards with 17 touchdowns and two interceptions. 

With just five games remaining for Clemson, it appears its dance at No. 3 Notre Dame on November 7 is the only thing standing between it and a College Football Playoff berth. Assuming the Tigers take care of the Fighting Irish, they will carry the No. 1 seed into the CFP and thus have the shortest college football national championship odds.

Alabama & Ohio State Swap Spots

Heading into the opening week of the Big Ten schedule, the Ohio State Buckeyes were second on the oddsboard at +300 and the Alabama Crimson Tide were third at +325. After the Buckeyes stomped Nebraska 52-17 and the Crimson Tide handled Tennessee 48-17, the two teams flipped positions and odds in the table.

Quarterback Justin Fields was outstanding in the Ohio State win, completing 20 of 21 passes for 276 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions while also carrying the rock 15 times for a team-high 54 yards and another touchdown. 

Fields, Lawrence and Alabama QB Mac Jones will all be battling it out for the Heisman Trophy. ’Bama is now 5-0 after topping Tennessee and Jones has a better completion percentage and more yards in one fewer game than Lawrence. The Crimson Tide have a relative cakewalk to the College Football Playoff so it makes sense that they jumped the Buckeyes on the oddsboard. 

Notable Risers After Week 8

Oklahoma State +12500 to +5000

This makes back-to-back weeks that Oklahoma State has been in the notable risers section and perhaps the Cowboys are starting to draw some betting eyes. They remain the lone undefeated Big 12 team at 4-0 and are 3-0 in conference play. Most recently, Oklahoma State knocked off its first ranked foe, No. 17 Iowa State, and has two more remaining on its schedule – No. 16 Kansas State and No. 24 Oklahoma, both on the road in back-to-back weeks.

Chuba Hubbard, the nation’s leading rusher last year, is back at it again, leading the team with 478 yards and five majors. Meanwhile, on defense, the Cowboys are surrendering just 12 points per game. At this stage, if there is a Big 12 team that is ready to play in the College Football Playoff, it’s Oklahoma State.

Kansas State +15000 to +10000

Sticking with the Big 12, since an ugly 35-31 loss to Arkansas State in Week 1, Kansas State has rattled off four straight wins, all conference victories, including a road win over then-No. 3 Oklahoma 38-35. Running back Deuce Vaughn is leading the team in rushing and receiving yards, keeping opposing defenses on edge guessing whether he’s going to run it up the gut or break away on a wheel route. 

As mentioned in the Oklahoma State section, these two teams are set to meet on November 7 and the winner may go on to win the Big 12 and potentially get the nod for the College Football Playoff. 

Notable Fallers After Week 8

Penn State +4000 to +10000

With the Big Ten kicking off, it was expected that a couple of teams might find themselves in the notable fallers list. Penn State was by far the biggest Big Ten loser of the week with its 36-35 overtime loss to Indiana. The Nittany Lions had the sixth-best odds to win the national championship and were the No. 8-ranked squad in the nation heading into their first game, but one loss in a shortened season all but ruins their chances to compete in the CFP.

Things don’t get any easier for Penn State as it hosts Ohio State this week and will have to visit Michigan in late November. Dual-threat QB Sean Clifford had a strong game on the ground but threw two interceptions that led to 10 Indiana points and those are the mistakes the team can’t make in a tough Big Ten Conference.

Minnesota +12500 to +15000

Not as big a fall but like Penn State, Minnesota was ranked preseason at No. 21. A 49-24 beatdown at home at the hands of Michigan suggests perhaps the Gophers were pretenders from the get-go or that Michigan may find itself in the notable risers in due time. 

Minnesota junior QB Tanner Morgan struggled all day, completing 58.1 percent of his passes for 197 yards with one touchdown and one interception. However, there was a bright spot for the Gophers in junior RB Mohamed Ibrahim, who rushed for 140 yards on 26 totes while chipping in two majors. Minnesota has some opportunities to get into rhythm this week against a Maryland team that was embarrassed at Northwestern last week.

Pac-12 Commits To Shortened Season

After the Big Ten announced it was reversing its stance on the cancellation of its football season, the Pac-12 was the lone Power 5 conference that was holding out. 

Well, on September 24, the conference announced it would begin a shortened seven-game season on November 6. This is welcome news for Oregon, which is likely to be the Pac-12 favorite and could become the first Pac-12 team since 2017 to make a College Football Playoff appearance.

The Ducks have the shortest – albeit quite long – odds among Pac-12 teams to win the national championship (+10000). The Ducks sit 12th in the AP rankings, but they will be playing a shortened six-game season, which I don’t think will be enough to earn a CFP spot even if they run the table.

What is a Futures Bet for NCAA Football Teams?

When it comes to big events for any sport, you can bet months in advance. In this case, a futures bet is a wager made on which team will win the national championship. Each week, oddsmakers will update the odds to reflect how a squad is doing. If a team is plagued with injuries, their chances of making it to the NCAA football final game slim down. A surging squad will see their odds skyrocket.

Understanding College Football Championship Odds

When you go to a college football sportsbook, you’ll see the betting lines laid out like this:

Unlike a traditional straight-up bet where there’s a clear favorite marked by the minus sign (-), ‘Bama is the fave since they have the lowest odds. The rest are considered underdogs.

If you believe that LSU has the greatest odds of winning the championship, and you bet $50 on them, you’d get a payout of $275 – your original $50 is returned along with your winnings of $225. On the other hand, if you’re looking at Georgia and think they’re going to turn it around and win it all, that same $50 would give you $750 – you get your $50 back, plus your prize of $700. Our odds calculating tool will show you how much you’d win based on the odds and amount bet.

When you see futures odds that you like, it’s best to jump on them early. As mentioned above, betting sites will adjust the odds as we get closer to bowl season and teams move up and down in the standings.