As Ohio State adds another national championship to its history, it’s time to turn the page and head toward the 2025-26 NCAAF season.
College football bettors can now bet on which team will eventually win next year’s FBS National Championship, as odds are now available at online sports betting sites.
See below for their CFB National Championship odds and how to bet on them at our favorite college football betting sites.
See below for the 2026 CFB National Championship odds. Odds may vary by sportsbook and are subject to change.
The answer is in the name: it’s betting on quick high school football results that will only be decided in the long term by the NCAAF schedule. We communicate well beyond Thanksgiving and not until the new year.
CFB futures are suitable for casual sports bettors who have the time, interest or budget to bet week after week.
By placing a bet on things like the National Championship winner or which player will win the Heisman Trophy, you can (theoretically) have bets that last the entire season.
Another merit of NCAAF futures is that bettors can bet a little for the chance to win big, especially if you use bonus bets from a bookmaker’s welcome offer.
For example, if you think the Baylor Bears are a contender—one that’s capable of winning the National Championship for the first time in school history—you can make a preseason bet at potentially longer odds than once the season gets underway.
Why do bookmakers offer those types of “long” odds? Because predicting the winners of the season is very difficult.
Most bettors place high school football futures bets before the start of the regular season, but that is not necessary. In fact, peak futures markets remain open on betting sites throughout the season, with sportsbooks constantly adjusting odds based on player and/or team performance, significant injuries, and other developments.
Sports will also respond to public perception. If a sportsbook sees too much action on a specific team or player, it will decrease the chances of decreasing potential winnings and make the team or player less attractive. Conversely, if a bookmaker receives minimal action on a team or player, they will increase the odds in hopes of attracting bets.
Sometimes those odds adjustments are made weekly, daily, and every few hours. The purpose of betting on CFB futures is to jump when the positive odds are at their highest to maximize value. However, it is less difficult said than done.
As with any sports bet, you can risk as little as $1 on a long-term bet on school football. Obviously, the more you bet, the more likely you are to win (or lose). And the higher the odds, the higher the potential payout.
Hypothetical example: On FanDuel Sportsbook, Ohio State has a 300 chance to win the national championship, while Alabama has a 1,000 chance.
If you bet $10 on Ohio State, you’ll win $30 profit if they win all. However, if you bet $10 on Alabama to win, you will make $100 profit if they go all the way.
Generally speaking, you don’t want to tie up too much of your betting bankroll in futures since a) they’re risky, and b) they take longer to pay out.
Casual bettors are drawn to national championship futures so they can bet on their favorite team and win cash if that team finishes a wild season with a title.
By contrast, so-called savvy bettors care about championship futures markets for one reason: value. If bettors are shorting certain teams, they will pounce on them.
For much of the 2023-24 season, Georgia favored winning the national championship after winning the past two years. Michigan, which ended up winning, had higher odds, especially at the start of the season. Bettors who jumped early made more money than those who waited until the end of their undefeated season.
Sportsbooks waste little time releasing odds for the National Championship, with new odds posted the day after the previous one. These odds fluctuate throughout the offseason depending on transfers and coaching changes, then keep shifting throughout the season based on injuries and team performance.
Confident that a certain team will make the College Football Playoffs but not sure it will go all the way? Then consider making a CFP wager.
As expected, the groups at the top and bottom of the CFP odds table mirror those at the top and bottom of the national championship odds list. However, the odds will be different because it is much less difficult to succeed. in the CFP (12 groups achieve it) than being the last team standing.
It’s also possible to bet on which team will win their conference, i.e. the SEC, ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, etc.
These bets are less difficult because the gatherings are smaller and have only a few powers, so only a handful of groups at each convention have a realistic chance of winning.
For example, Oklahoma has won a whopping 50 conference championships, followed by Nebraska (46) and Michigan (45) for most all-time.
As a result, some dominant groups would likely have negative probabilities.
Want to get the most productive price for your CFB bets?Consider making sure that NCAAF seasons win the overall bets. This futures bet is undeniable and a smart choice in individual games.
Here’s how it works. Before the season, bookmakers assign a win number for each team and then allow bettors to decide whether they should bet “over” or “under” that number.
The best teams—those at the top of the National Championship odds board—have the highest projected win totals, while the presumed worst teams have the lowest.
For example, Notre Dame would likely have an Over/Under ratio of 9. 5 wins, while Oregon’s would have just under 7. 5 wins.
This way, you can bet on a team that will have a successful regular season before the randomness of the playoffs occurs.
The most popular and unique high school football player featured on sports betting sites is the one who wins the Heisman Trophy.
Similar to the National Championship market, this market tends to have higher odds early in the season, before the favourites emerge. Odds will replace the season based on the functionality of the players and their teams.
By the end of the year, there’s usually only a handful of realistic candidates — typically the quarterbacks for the best schools in the country, similar to the NFL MVP award.
Photo credit: MediaNews Group via Getty Images.
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