We’re a couple of weeks removed from Curt Cignetti’s masterclass of an undefeated National Championship campaign at Indiana, and that means we can start looking ahead to next season.
New College Football National Championship odds have hit the board, and it’s mostly those blue-blood programs we’re used to seeing at the top of the college football odds board. I say mostly because Indiana is among the favorites at +700 to repeat in 2027.
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2026-27 CFP National Championship odds
|
Team |
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|---|---|
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish |
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Ohio State Buckeyes |
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Texas Longhorns |
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Indiana Hoosiers |
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Oregon Ducks |
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Georgia Bulldogs |
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Texas Tech Red Raiders |
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Miami Hurricanes |
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LSU Tigers |
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Texas A&M Aggies |
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Alabama Crimson Tide |
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Oklahoma Sooners |
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USC Trojans |
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Michigan Wolverines |
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Florida Gators |
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Mississippi Rebels |
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Auburn Tigers |
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Penn State Nittany Lions |
Odds as of 2-5.
College Football Playoff odds
NCAA College Football Playoff odds are determined by professional oddsmakers at sportsbooks or betting sites. This year, the College Football Playoff bracket has expanded to 12 teams. The odds reflect the probability of a particular outcome and are set to attract balanced betting action on both sides of a wager. Here are some of the factors oddsmakers consider before releasing lines to the public:
Team performance: Oddsmakers assess the performance of the teams throughout the season, including their win-loss records and strength of schedule
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Injuries: The status of key players, especially quarterbacks and other impact positions, can have a major impact on the odds.
Head-to-head matchups: The historical performance of teams against each other, as well as their most recent matchups, can influence the odds.
Public perception: Oddsmakers take into account public sentiment and betting patterns. If a popular team like Notre Dame or Ohio State is playing, odds may be adjusted to limit the sportsbook’s risk.
Venue: The location of the game (neutral site or home-field advantage) can affect the odds.
Coaching: The reputation and experience of the coaches can play a big role in setting odds.
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Once these factors are considered, oddsmakers set an initial line, known as the opening line. This line is adjusted based on betting activity to ensure the sportsbook has a balanced amount of money on both sides of the wager. If too much money is coming in on one side, the odds may be adjusted to encourage betting on the other side.
College Football National Championship history
|
Season |
Team |
Record |
Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2025 |
Indiana Hoosiers |
16-0 |
1 |
|
2024 |
Ohio State Buckeyes |
14-2 |
6 |
|
2023 |
Michigan Wolverines |
15-0 |
1 |
|
2022 |
Georgia Bulldogs |
15-0 |
1 |
|
2021 |
Georgia Bulldogs |
14-1 |
3 |
|
2020 |
Alabama Crimson Tide |
13-0 |
1 |
|
2019 |
LSU Tigers |
15-0 |
1 |
|
2018 |
Clemson Tigers |
15-0 |
2 |
|
2017 |
Alabama Crimson Tide |
13-1 |
4 |
|
2016 |
Clemson Tigers |
14-1 |
2 |
|
2015 |
Alabama Crimson Tide |
14-1 |
2 |
College Football National Championship trends
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The CFP National Championship has been won by a Big Ten team in three straight years, but SEC teams won six of eight titles before that.
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An SEC team played in the National Championship Game every year from 2016 to 2023, but hasn’t had a finalist in the last three title games.
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The No. 1-ranked team has won just five of the last 12 National Championships.
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Only two teams outside of the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC have made an appearance in the National Championship (2014 Oregon, 2023 Washington).
Understanding college football futures odds
Sportsbooks release college football futures odds as soon as the clock hits zero in the previous season’s national championship game. There are many ways to wager on NCAA football futures but picking the outright winner of the national championship is definitely the most popular. During the offseason and preseason, you’ll be able to get a plus-money price on basically any team in the nation as there is so much uncertainty around what will happen next year.
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NCAA football championship odds will usually look like this:
This means that on a $100 bet, you’ll stand to win $650 if the Buckeyes win the national title. If it’s close to the end of the regular season and there is a particularly dominant program, you might see that a team has a minus sign (-) ahead of its odds.
This means that if you bet on Indiana, you would need to bet $250 to profit $100 if the Hoosiers won the championship.
Of course, futures odds are a fluid market. They can change every day based on news, injuries, suspensions, transfers, etc. In college football, there generally isn’t too much movement in the futures market during the offseason, but once the season begins, look for huge changes week-to-week based on wins and losses.
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All the odds seen above are in American format. Should you find decimal format or fractional format easier to read, simply convert the odds using our simple odds converter tool.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
