The 12-team College Football Playoff era is upon us.
Coaches have changed places, and so too have players via the transfer portal. The college football season will also bring about the Power 4 conferences after the mass exodus from the Pac-12 to the ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12.
While there’s a long way to go until the 2024 college football season starts, here’s a look at the CFP national championship odds.
CFB National Champion Odds 2024
CFB odds used in these National Championship betting tips are current as of Tuesday, Feb. 13, and reflect lines at DraftKings Sportsbook.
\
CFB National Championship Best Bet
Georgia: Win CFB National Championship (+330)
DraftKings Sportsbook
The Bulldogs are about the only national contender that did not have a major uprooting of their program, leaving the 2021 and 2022 national champions poised to come back in 2024.
Georgia will have a hellacious schedule, with neutral-site games against Clemson and Florida, road dates at Alabama and Texas in 2024, and the potential SEC Championship Game. But if Carson Beck and the Bulldogs offense can put up numbers as they did in 2023, UGA should easily qualify for the playoff this year.
The Bulldogs will almost certainly open the season at No. 1. They are a worthy CFB bet of the day.
CFB National Championship Contenders
Ohio State: Win CFB National Championship (+550)
DraftKings Sportsbook
There was major turnover in the Buckeyes program with the departure of 2023 Biletnikoff winner Marvin Harrison Jr. and quarterback Kyle McCord, who transferred to Syracuse.
But with Jim Harbaugh off to the NFL and the 12-team playoff taking effect, Ryan Day’s team may have an easier road to the title than in previous years.
Sure, the Big Ten will now have 18 teams, adding traditional national powers USC, Oregon, and Washington while still also featuring Penn State and Michigan. But the Buckeyes will play eight home games, including their date with the Wolverines on Nov. 30.
Texas: Win CFB National Championship (+700)
DraftKings Sportsbook
The Longhorns came within a last-second touchdown of reaching the national championship game, yet they will have a more difficult road to the expanded playoff while playing in the SEC.
Texas will have to go to Michigan, along with dates against Georgia, Oklahoma, and Florida. The Longhorns may also have a quarterback controversy as incumbent starter Quinn Ewers feels the heat from redshirt freshman Arch Manning.
CFB National Championship Sleepers
Florida State: Win CFB National Championship (+2000)
DraftKings Sportsbook
The Seminoles still posted an undefeated season despite their 60-point loss to Georgia in the Orange Bowl. Although FSU lost quarterback Tate Rodemaker, it will have seasoned vet D.J. Uiagalelei under center for Mike Norvell’s squad.
I know FSU is trying desperately to exit the ACC as quickly as possible, but the Seminoles are best situated to reach the 12-team playoff while still in that conference due to their easy schedule.
If the Noles run the table again, they surely won’t get left out of the 12-team field. With Uiagalelei, as long as he’s healthy, FSU will have exceptional quarterback play.
Penn State: Win CFB National Championship (+2500)
DraftKings Sportsbook
The Nittany Lions have long been hamstrung by their inability to get past Michigan and Ohio State in the Big Ten East. But they stand to gain the most with the new format, where there aren’t divisions, and the new CFP format, where Penn State can reach the tournament even if it loses to both of its Big Ten rivals.
The Nittany Lions have won 10 games in consecutive seasons and finished within the top 12 in the CFP rankings each of the past two seasons. Given the undoubted chaos that will unfold, PSU looks like a great sleeper as long as it can navigate the Big Ten slate.
