National Championship Odds: Buckeyes Remain The Favorites
It is a three-horse race atop the national championship oddsboard with just two weeks remaining in the regular season. The Ohio State Buckeyes lead all the other schools at +190 but have a tough couple of games remaining on their schedule. The LSU Tigers and Clemson Tigers are also near the top at most sportsbooks.
Online sportsbook Bovada has Ohio State as the favorite at +190 followed by LSU at +250, Clemson at +275, Georgia at +800, Alabama at +1200, Oregon at +1600, Oklahoma at +2000, Utah at +6000, Penn State at +8000, Minnesota at +10000 and Baylor at +30000 to round out the teams on the oddsboard.
Can Ohio State Climb To No. 1 Rank?
Undefeated in the Big Ten with wins over then-No. 25 Michigan State and then-No. 13 Wisconsin has resulted in Ohio State (10-0) being the favorite to win the national title. It’s an interesting situation, though, as so much attention has been on what Joe Burrow and the LSU Tigers are doing as they tear through the SEC. Despite the Buckeyes’ dominance, it seems people are thinking “Well, yes, they should be winning these games.” However, they are scoring the most points per game this season and allowing the fewest.
Ahead of the season, I didn’t think that Ohio State would take the Big Ten after losing longtime head coach Urban Meyer and bringing in a new quarterback in Justin Fields. Yet, here we are with Fields consistently climbing the Heisman oddsboard and directing a dominant team through 12 weeks. The Buckeyes have No. 9 Penn State this week and No. 15 Michigan next week, which could help them climb the rankings and become the top seed for the College Football Playoff.
Oregon’s Odds Continue to Improve
After dropping the first game of the season in a neutral-site contest against then-No. 16 Auburn 27-21, Oregon has rattled off nine straight wins while going a perfect 7-0 in the Pac-12. Additionally, the Ducks have allowed seven or fewer points in six of the last nine games, while scoring 30 or more points in seven of those. Last week, the Ducks were +3000 to win the national title and those odds were cut nearly in half to +1600 this week.
The biggest hurdle for the Ducks is getting to the dance. It appears that LSU, Clemson and Ohio State are locks, so that leaves just one spot and several worthy teams to get that fourth seed. With Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa’s season-ending injury, the door may have opened a little more for Oregon, especially if LSU beats Georgia in the SEC championship game. Compared to the other three supposed locks, the Ducks at +1600 are providing tremendous value.
For more college football betting information, check out our NCAAF Betting News section. Here’s a look at the book’s full list of odds:
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Ohio State (#2) | +190 |
| LSU (#1) | +250 |
| Clemson (#3) | +275 |
| Georgia (#4) | +800 |
| Alabama (#5) | +1200 |
| Oregon (#6) | +1600 |
| Oklahoma (#8) | +2000 |
| Utah (#7) | +6000 |
| Penn State (#9) | +8000 |
| Minnesota (#11) | +10000 |
| Baylor (#13) | +30000 |
Odds as of November 18 at Bovada
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:
Alabama +250
Clemson +275
Ohio State +275
LSU +450
Georgia +1400
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.
