This page is your one stop for the latest odds to win the 2017-18 NCAA Football Championship. We start tracking the odds for the next season right after the conclusion of the title game.
We will continue to update the lines throughout the year and provide checkpoints with each update.
The most current odds will be listed under the “Now” column. You can also compare numbers from different books on our college football odds page. Teams with the best odds are listed at the top.
The implied probability shows the chance each of these teams has to win based on the latest update.
To convert to fractional odds take the numbers below and divide by 100. For example, +500 converts to 5/1.
Updated Betting Odds to Win the 2017-18 College Football Playoffs
Spring practices are in the books. Now felt like a good time to check in on the odds to win the title next year. It’s our first checkpoint since we first looked at the lines after Clemson won the title in early January.
Betting Favorite: Alabama (+300)
As you can see, the odds on favorite to win is none other than Alabama. Not a big surprise here. As long as Nick Saban is in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide will be near the top of the preseason list.
Note that when these are released initially, they are almost always based on what a team did last year and their reputation. The odds have now been up for a solid three months. While a lot of teams stayed put, we saw some decent movement at the top.
For example, Ohio State now has the second best odds at +550. That’s a decent jump from the +750 we saw them at back in January. Right behind them is USC. The Trojans are now at +700 after opening at +900.
A few other teams that are getting some love are Penn St, Georgia, Auburn, Washington and Florida.
Teams like Oklahoma and Michigan have seen their odds get worse. The Sooners and Wolverines are each at +1200 after originally being listed at +900.
My Early Value Prediction: Louisville (+2200)
It would be easy to predict Alabama to win it all, but that’s not fun. Plus, there’s zero value with the Crimson Tide at +300. A team that I like at a much better price is Louisville.
The Cardinals return Heisman quarterback Lamar Jackson to a team that returns a lot from last year. Louisville only had two players taken in the draft and they were in the 6th and 7th rounds. Keep in mind this is a team that tied Clemson at 7-1 in the ACC Atlantic. They started the season 9-1 with their only loss in conference a 36-42 defeat at Clemson.
The Cardinals lost their final 3 games, which is why I think they are under the radar. Struggling down the stretch after your playoff goals are out of reach is going to happen. I look for this team to come out with a chip on their shoulder and the ACC is theirs for the taking.
Preseason Vegas Lines for Past NCAA Football Championship Teams
The table below lists the preseason line on every team that went on to win the title since 2002. The 2010 Auburn Tigers were the most unlikely champs in recent history. A $100 bet on Auburn made before the start of the 2010 season would have paid $5,000 at the end of the year. Compare that to the heavily-favored 2004 USC Trojans. A $100 preseason bet on them would have paid just $300!
| Season | Team | Preseason |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Clemson | +750 |
| 2015 | Alabama | +700 |
| 2014 | Ohio State | +4000 |
| 2013 | Florida State | +1600 |
| 2012 | Alabama | +550 |
| 2011 | Alabama | +600 |
| 2010 | Auburn | +5000 |
| 2009 | Alabama | +1200 |
| 2008 | Florida | +600 |
| 2007 | LSU | +800 |
| 2006 | Florida | +1000 |
| 2005 | Texas | +800 |
| 2004 | USC | +300 |
| 2003 | LSU | +4000 |
| 2002 | Ohio State | +1900 |
FBS Championship Game Betting History: Spread, Total & Results
Next, find the results, spreads, and totals for every championship game since 1998. This is when NCAA football started having an actual title game.
The biggest upset in the history of these games came in 2002 when Ohio State beat Miami. The Buckeyes were 12-point underdogs. They won thanks in large part to a controversial pass interference call in double overtime.