Another drama-filled week of college football led to another seismic shift in the national championship odds.
Let’s take a look at the odds for the NCAA football champion.
CFB National Champion Odds 2024
CFB odds used in these National Championship betting tips are current as of Monday, Oct. 2, and reflect lines at DraftKings Sportsbook.
CFB National Championship Best Bet
Michigan: Win CFB National Championship (+400)
DraftKings Sportsbook
The Wolverines once again rolled, scoring a 45-7 road win over Nebraska, improving to 5-0. After easily surviving coach Jim Harbaugh‘s suspension and with an astoundingly easy schedule until its Nov. 7 date with Penn State in Happy Valley, Michigan is the favorite to win the Big Ten and return to the College Football Playoff.
With quarterback J.J. McCarthy and star running back Blake Corum each among the top-10 in Heisman Trophy odds, the Michigan offense is doing what it does. Michigan’s odds dipped for the second week in a row, yet the second-ranked Wolverines remain the best value on the board and my CFB bet of the day.
CFB National Championship Favorites
Georgia: Win CFB National Championship (+300)
DraftKings Sportsbook
Even though Georgia’s win streak rolled on, the Bulldogs’ national championship odds took a hit due to their narrow 27-20 win over Auburn on Saturday.
UGA’s schedule is suddenly tougher than advertised since it will have to host 20th-ranked Kentucky in the first of its four regular-season matchups against nationally-ranked opponents. Plus, the Bulldogs will square off against rival Florida and have to meet a top-10 opponent if they return to the SEC Championship Game.
A third straight national title is unlikely. But UGA continues to be the champ until someone knocks it off.
Texas: Win CFB National Championship (+750)
DraftKings Sportsbook
The Longhorns stayed unblemished by pulling away late from 24th-ranked Kansas and remain the No. 3-ranked team in the nation. Quinn Ewers again was efficient, throwing for 325 yards and a touchdown, helping the Longhorns score the game’s final 20 points.
Texas could be on upset alert when it faces off against arch-rival Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout in Dallas on Saturday. But if the Longhorns knock off the Sooners, they should be a shoo-in to reach the playoff.
Ohio State: Win CFB National Championship (+750)
DraftKings Sportsbook
The Buckeyes’ odds remained third-shortest despite their bye week. Still, Ohio State should be riding high from its win over Notre Dame in South Bend on Sept. 23.
Ohio State will host Maryland on Saturday, then trek to Purdue for a matchup Oct. 14. Should the Buckeyes remain unbeaten, all eyes will be on their showdown with Penn State in State College on Oct. 21.
CFB National Championship Contenders
Florida State: Win CFB National Championship (+900)
DraftKings Sportsbook
After cheating death for two straight weeks, the Seminoles had a bye to recuperate for the rest of their ACC schedule. They should be able to handle lowly Virginia Tech at home on Saturday.
- The Game Day featured writer Adam Kramer slots Florida State at No. 5 in his post-Week 6 CFB Power Rankings.
The ‘Noles are still the clear favorite to win the conference — Miami now has the second-shortest ACC CFB odds. Home matchups with Duke and Miami are the only thing standing in FSU’s way of an undefeated regular season.
USC: Win CFB National Championship (+1800)
DraftKings Sportsbook
USC may be a national title contender, but it is no longer the favorite to win the Pac-12. The Trojans nearly coughed up a 28-point lead in their 48-41 win at Colorado on Saturday.
Still, Caleb Williams remains the Heisman Trophy favorite after throwing six touchdowns in USC’s win in Boulder. The Trojans will host Arizona on Saturday before starting a gauntlet of four games against opponents ranked in the top-20 in a five-week span.
Should USC go 5-1 or 6-0 over the next six weeks, its national title odds will dip substantially.
CFB National Championship Sleeper
Alabama: Win CFB National Championship (+2500)
DraftKings Sportsbook
It’s not every day you can get a team with this much pedigree with this long of odds.
The Crimson Tide are suddenly back from the dead, with their national title odds dropping from +4000 in just a week thanks to wins over Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
Jalen Milroe infused some confidence in Alabama’s quarterback issues over the past two weeks, and one loss to a top-5 team like Texas is certainly not disqualifying.
The Tide have an easier-than-expected schedule, and if they can run the table — including a win in the SEC Championship Game — they’ll almost certainly go to the playoff.
If they did that, they’d be more dangerous than ever.
