FanDuel Sportsbook Opens 2024-25 College Football National Championship Futures Odds

The two teams in this year’s College Football National Championship have yet to be determined. The transfer portal is still abuzz with plenty of big names. But on Friday, FanDuel Sportsbook posted 2024-25 National Championship odds. The usual suspects lead the way: Georgia (+480), Alabama (+550), and Ohio State (+600). Although the names aren’t anything new, their opening prices are – these odds are notably longer than in year’s past, thanks largely to the introduction of the 12-team Playoff.

College Football fundamentally changes in 2024. We’ll go over those changes and break down their significance throughout the offseason, but for now, let’s take a look at these championship openers.

College Football 2024-25 National Championship Opening Odds

The following are FanDuel’s opening odds as of Dec. 29. Scroll to the bottom for a more extensive look at the odds. When placing futures bets, always shop around at the best sports betting sites to find the best number as more books release odds.

What’s Changing In 2024?

The biggest change to the way the National Championship is priced is the 12-team playoff. Now the second-tier teams – like Ole Miss, Penn State, and Utah – have their shot at pulling off upsets and making their way to the national title game. It also forces the bluebloods to win another two games to get back to the four-team round.

Also impactful, albeit less directly so, is conference realignment. The Big Ten and SEC get notably more difficult while the Big 12 loses a lot of firepower and the Pac-12 almost dissolved completely. The dissolution of divisions in the Big Ten and SEC also opens the door for more success from teams like Penn State and Ole Miss.

In 2023, we saw no truly dominant teams, at least not in the sense of 2021 Georgia, 2020 Alabama, and 2019 LSU. Next season could have a similar setup.

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The National Championship Odds Favorites

Like each of the last three seasons, the Georgia Bulldogs (+480) open as national title favorites. They return QB Carson Beck and have a swath of extremely talented players. The Dawgs added RB Trevor Etienne from rival Florida and a pair of receivers in Colbie Young (Miami) and Landon Humphreys (Vanderbilt). So long as Kirby Smart resides in Athens, Georgia will be on the shortlist of elite teams.

The Alabama Crimson Tide (+550) also return their QB, an exceedingly-rare quality. Jalen Milroe will almost certainly be a headliner in next year’s Heisman odds, if not the headliner. While Alabama has a lot leaving defensely, reloading that side of the ball has never been an issue for Nick Saban. The Texas Longhorns (+850) are heavily speculated to return their QB Quinn Ewers and also have an endless spring of defensive talent on hand.

The Ohio State Buckeyes (+600) are a more interesting case. They lack a real answer at QB – an issue put on full display in their 14-3 Cotton Bowl loss – and the faith in the head coach hasn’t been this low since John Cooper in the late 1990s. Rumors connect Ohio State to Will Howard, although the Kansas State transfer remains uncomitted at time of writing.

Top Contenders To Consider

Michigan (+1000), LSU (+1400), and Florida State (+1900) have the most to replace. The Tigers have the most-immediate answer at QB while Michigan has the strongest foundation. However, the Wolverines may be facing punishment from the NCAA in 2024. All three teams are giants on the recruiting trail and will remain in contention, especially under the new 12-team playoff.

Oregon (+1100) landed the transfer portal’s most-coveted QB in Dillon Gabriel. The Ducks make the move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten in 2024, although they appear to be well-poised to be a strong contender in their new league. Notre Dame (+2200) also landed a highly-coveted transfer QB, Riley Leonard, and added LSU offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock. Denbrock just led Jayden Daniels to a Heisman Trophy and the Tigers to historic offensive numbers.

National Championship Odds: Intriguing Longshots

It cannot be ignored what Ole Miss (+2600) is doing this transfer cycle. The Rebels revamped their defensive front with three top-15 transfers, led by Walter Nolan. Lane Kiffin also returns his QB, Jaxson Dart, and Dart’s favorite target in Tre Harris. Overall, their transfer class ranked No. 1 at 247Sports at time of writing. After a season in which Ole Miss only dropped games at Alabama and Georgia, they’re in a great position to make a TCU- and Washington-esque jump to the top of the country.

After handing Ohio State their first non-playoff bowl loss since 2011, the Missouri Tigers (+10000) are one of the most interesting teams entering 2024. QB Brady Cook and star WR Luther Burden III both return and the Tigers added key transfers like CB Toriando Pride, OG Cayden Green, and 1,300-yard rusher Marcus Carroll. Their schedule also sets up favorably, avoiding Georgia, Ole Miss, and Texas.