This College Football Championship futures guide has the latest odds to win the college football national championship. Based on our college football futures odds tutorial, you’ll learn everything you need to know to place a CFP Championship futures bet. Additionally, you’ll find past championship winners below, plus past and present standings for each college football conference.
This guide also features the best sports betting sites where you can legally place bets in your jurisdiction. College football championship futures odds will update daily throughout the season, so be sure to bookmark this page and come back after each week’s action has concluded.
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Table of Contents
- College Football Championship Futures Odds
- Championship Contenders
- What are College Football Futures?
- How to Bet
- Other College Football Futures Bets
- When to Bet
- Past National Champions
- College Football Standings
- Championship Futures FAQs
College Football Championship Futures Odds
The following are the latest odds to win the CFP Championship. The college football playoff (CFP) selection committee selects exceptional teams for the annual playoffs. The vast majority of playoff participants have come from the Power 5 conferences: ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and the SEC. Entries from other conferences are much less common. In recent years, only Notre Dame from the FBS Independents, and Cincinnati from the American Athletic Conference (AAC) have made the playoffs.
Top teams that don’t make the playoffs end up in one of the many annual college bowl games that commence in mid-December and finish up around New Year’s Day prior to the National Championship game.
|
Team |  BetMGM |
|---|---|
| Ohio State | +125 Bet |
| Texas | +300 Bet |
| Penn State | +500 Bet |
| Georgia | +700 Bet |
| Notre Dame | +700 Bet |
Championship Contenders
On January 20, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, we will get to see the culmination of the first 12-team college football playoff. The top contenders for this season are Georgia (2021 and 2022 champion), Ohio State (2014 champion), Texas (2005 champion), and Oregon, which has yet to win a national championship.
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What are College Football Futures Bets?
A futures bet is placed on the outcome of a distant college football event. Your bet wins if you chose the correct outcome. You may bet on more than one outcome at once, however the odds for each outcome will likely differ depending on each selection.
Popular College football futures bets include odds to win the College Football Championship and individual conferences like the SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, and the ACC. Additionally, sports betting sites will have odds to win the Heisman Trophy and other annual player awards.
You can place a futures bet up to any point before the actual event begins or the player award is announced. Odds will vary as the season progresses. For example, a team with a strong winning record will gradually become a favorite to win the their conference and potentially participate in the college football playoffs. On the other hand, an underperforming player will gradually become a long shot underdog to win the Heisman Trophy award.
College football futures odds offer sports bettors two opportunities. One, the chance to bet on a distant event with a potentially higher payoff than any single game bet. Two, insight into which teams or players are likely to come out on top by the end of the season. Whether you actually bet the future or not, the changing odds are a useful datapoint to sharpen your college football handicapping as the season progresses.
How to Bet College Football Championship Futures
Time needed: 1 minute
How to place a College Football futures bet
- Review odds for college football’s upcoming events
Review futures odds for college football’s upcoming events. Popular events include the National Championship, conference championships, and Heisman Trophy winner. Select the National Championship event from the sportsbook’s menu.
- Each outcome has moneyline odds
Each outcome will have moneyline odds at American sports betting sites. Minus values indicate how much you risk to win $100. Plus values indicate how much you win if you risk $100.
- Make your selection and place your bet
Make one or more selections and bet your desired amount.
- You may place one or more futures bets on the same event
You can place multiple bets on the same event at once or at different times. Simply choose a different outcome and place another wager.
- Your bet wins if you picked the correct outcome
Your bet wins if you picked the correct outcome. Review your sportsbook’s rules to see when a futures bet can be cancelled.
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College Football Futures Bets
The following are the most popular College football futures bets. These bets are the most commonly placed by recreational and professional bettors alike. Use the odds to guide your handicapping throughout the season.
Conferences with Championship Futures Odds
All Other Conferences
- Big Sky
- Big South-OVC
- CAA
- Independent
- Ivy League
- MEAC
- Missouri Valley
- Northeast
- Patriot League
- Pioneer Football League
- Southern
- Southland
- SWAC
- UAC
When to Bet College Football Futures
With a shorter season than the NFL, it’s critical to properly plan and time your college football futures bet. You should avoid placing a bet before August, as some team schedules and rosters are still being sorted out. But betting mid to late season also isn’t wise, as the payout for a likely winner will be much lower.
Picking a team to win the National Championship is riskier than picking a conference champion. The good news is that you can eliminate the vast majority of teams that don’t play for a Power 5 conference, since these conferences have produced the most national champions in recent years.
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National Championship Futures Betting Strategies
First, stick with the Power 5 conferences: ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC. It’s highly unlikely teams from other conferences will win the championship, let alone make the playoffs. Now you’ll need to narrow the list again. Take the top 15 teams according to the current futures odds, and drop any conferences entirely that didn’t make the cut.
Second, cross-reference this list to each team’s conference futures. Carefully consider which teams can win their conference or finish runner-up. These will be the most likely teams to make the playoffs. Ultimately, a team must get out of their conference in order to get consideration from the playoff selection committee. Don’t waste your time with longshots.
Third, try to forecast a couple playoff scenarios involving at least 2 SEC teams and 2 other teams. The SEC has consistently produced playoff participants and championship winners in recent years. Based on your simulations, try to guess the likelihood of these teams winning their national playoff games and making the final. For example, determine if a team will be facing weaker opponents from other conferences. Ask yourself if teams from any other conference could defeat the eventual SEC Champion?
Fourth, review each team’s schedule, particularly matchups in the latter part of the season. Weeks 9-13 could make or break a team’s chances of winning their conference championship. With the exception of the SEC, where the winner and runner-up frequently rematch in the playoffs, a team that doesn’t win their conference is unlikely to make the playoffs.
Finally, assess the health of each team’s key players. Will they be strong enough to progress through the final weeks of the season into January, or will the team need to tap the second string? For that matter, does a team have a good second string? When the star quarterback or running back gets injured, or the defense is having a bad season, the team’s odds to win the National Championship will quickly move to underdog status unless they can turn things around on short notice.
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Past College Football National Champions
| Season | Winner | Loser | Score | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | #1 Michigan Big Ten Champions | #2 Washington Pac-12 Champions | 34-13 | NRG Stadium Houston, Texas January 8, 2024 |
| 2022 | #1 Georgia SEC Champions | #3 TCU Big 12 Runner-up | 65-7 | SoFi Stadium Inglewood, California January 9, 2023 |
| 2021 | #3 Georgia SEC Runner-up | #1 Alabama SEC Champions | 33-18 | Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, Indiana January 10, 2022 |
| 2020 | #1 Alabama SEC Champions | #3 Ohio State Big 10 Champions | 52-24 | Hard Rock Stadium
Miami Gardens, Florida January 11, 2021 |
| 2019 | #1 LSU SEC Champions | #3 Clemson ACC Champions | 42-25 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome
New Orleans, Louisiana January 13, 2020 |
| 2018 | #2 Clemson ACC Champions | #1 Alabama SEC Champions | 44-16 | Levi's Stadium
Santa Clara, California January 7, 2019 |
| 2017 | #4 Alabama
SEC West Co-Champions | #3 Georgia
SEC Champions | 26-23 OT | Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, Georgia January 8, 2018 |
| 2016 | #2 Clemson ACC Champions | #1 Alabama
SEC Champions | 35-31 | Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida January 9, 2017 |
| 2015 | #2 Alabama SEC Champions | #1 Clemson ACC Champions | 45-40 | University of Phoenix Stadium Glendale, Arizona January 11, 2016 |
| 2014 | #4 Ohio State Big Ten Champions | #2 Oregon Pac-12 Champions | 42-20 | AT&T Stadium
Arlington, Texas January 12, 2015 |
College Football Standings
Review current and past regular season and preseason standings for each college football conference.
| Team | Conf | Conf% | W | L | PF | PA | Home | Away | Strk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #11 SMU | 8-0 | 1.000 | 11 | 3 | 511 | 309 | 6-1 | 5-1 | L2 |
| #12 Clemson | 7-1 | 0.875 | 10 | 4 | 486 | 328 | 5-2 | 4-1 | L1 |
| #15 Miami (FL) | 6-2 | 0.750 | 10 | 3 | 571 | 329 | 6-0 | 4-2 | L2 |
| Duke | 5-3 | 0.625 | 9 | 4 | 342 | 318 | 5-1 | 4-2 | L1 |
| Georgia Tech | 5-3 | 0.625 | 7 | 6 | 376 | 333 | 5-0 | 1-4 | L2 |
| Louisville | 5-3 | 0.625 | 9 | 4 | 474 | 313 | 4-2 | 4-2 | W3 |
| #22 Syracuse | 5-3 | 0.625 | 10 | 3 | 443 | 379 | 6-1 | 3-2 | W4 |
| Boston College | 4-4 | 0.500 | 7 | 6 | 366 | 309 | 6-1 | 1-4 | L1 |
| Virginia Tech | 4-4 | 0.500 | 6 | 6 | 356 | 273 | 4-2 | 2-4 | W1 |
| NC State | 3-5 | 0.375 | 6 | 7 | 371 | 392 | 4-3 | 2-2 | L1 |
| North Carolina | 3-5 | 0.375 | 6 | 7 | 402 | 365 | 3-4 | 3-2 | L3 |
| Pittsburgh | 3-5 | 0.375 | 7 | 6 | 428 | 369 | 5-2 | 2-3 | L6 |
| Virginia | 3-5 | 0.375 | 5 | 7 | 272 | 345 | 2-4 | 3-3 | L3 |
| California | 2-6 | 0.250 | 6 | 7 | 326 | 290 | 4-3 | 2-3 | L2 |
| Stanford | 2-6 | 0.250 | 3 | 9 | 274 | 404 | 2-4 | 1-5 | L2 |
| Wake Forest | 2-6 | 0.250 | 4 | 8 | 308 | 390 | 1-6 | 3-2 | L4 |
| Florida State | 1-7 | 0.125 | 2 | 10 | 185 | 336 | 2-5 | 0-4 | L1 |
College Football Championship Futures FAQs
A college football championship futures bet is placed on the outcome of the National Championship game. Your bet wins if you chose the correct outcome. You may bet on more than one outcome at once, however the odds for each outcome will likely differ depending on each selection.
Minus values indicate how much you risk to win $100. Selections with a minus value are considered strong favorites. Plus values indicate how much you win if you risk $100. Selections with plus values are considered underdogs. A selection with the lowest plus odds value among a market with no minus value favorite would be considered a modest underdog to win.
With a shorter season than the NFL, it’s critical to properly plan and time your college football futures bet. You should avoid placing a bet before August, as some team schedules and rosters are still being sorted out. But betting mid to late season also isn’t wise, as the payout for a likely winner will be much lower.
College Football Betting Resources
- College Football Betting Guide – Read up on how to bet your favorite teams this football season, reviewing the most common ways to bet on college football, plus season win totals, standings, and in-depth research.
- College Football Betting Sites – Our top licensed and legal US sports betting sites for college football.
- College Football Odds – Latest point spreads, totals, and moneylines for upcoming college football matchups and more.
- College Football Prop Bets – Prop betting lines and odds for upcoming College football games.
- College Football First Team to Score prop bet – See odds for which team will score first in the next schedule NCAA football games.
- College Football Futures Odds – Learn more about how to bet on college football futures. Review odds to win the National Championship and key D1 college football conferences like the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12, plus odds to win the Heisman Trophy.
- College Football Win Total Odds – Our tutorial explains how to bet on college football win totals, plus links to team win totals grouped by conference.
- College Football Game to Overtime Prop Bet – See odds for upcoming games, then review overtime game counts from recent seasons.
- Undefeated College Football Teams – See which teams are still undefeated in the current regular season.
- College Football Betting Tips – Quick tips and essential knowledge for those looking to up their college football betting game.
- College Football Overtime Games – We track multiple overtime college football games from 2002 to the current season. See the longest overtime games in NCAA football history.
- College Football Championship Results – Review recent College Football Championship winners, appearances, results, including from the BCS era.
- Can the AP Preseason Poll Predict a Winner? – Our classic case study looks at the AP preseason college football poll’s potential to predict an eventual national champion.