The AP poll officially named the Ohio State Buckeyes as the preseason No. 1 team in the country. The betting market agrees with that assessment.
At +550, Ohio State leads the national championship odds at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Behind the Buckeyes are Notre Dame and Oregon. Both programs want to finally win the championship after years of coming close.
It’s interesting that Ohio State tops the championship odds despite having one of the lowest season win totals among the top five favorites. But they return third-year quarterback Julian Sayin and arguably the best player in college football in Jeremiah Smith.
Notre Dame returns more production than anyone in the country. Oregon might be the most complete team in the sport.
Don’t be surprised if a team with long preseason odds makes a serious championship run. New users can bet $5 on any college football future and get $150 in Bonus Bets instantly at DraftKings.
National Championship odds 2026-27
All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
• Ohio State (+550)
• Notre Dame (+650)
• Oregon (+750)
• Texas (+850)
• Georgia (+850)
• Indiana (+900)
• Miami Florida (+1100)
• Texas Tech (+2000)
• Ole Miss (+2200)
• Oklahoma (+2200)
• LSU (+2500)
• Alabama (+2500)
• Texas A&M (+2700)
• USC (+3500)
• Michigan (+4000)
• Tennessee (+5000)
• Florida (+5000)
• Missouri (+8000)
• Washington (+8000)
• Penn State (+8000)
• Auburn (+10000)
• BYU (+10000)
• South Carolina (+10000)
• Louisville (+12500)
• SMU (+12500)
• Iowa (+17500)
• Utah (+17500)
• Clemson (+20000)
• Vanderbilt (+20000)
• Pittsburgh (+30000)
• TCU (+30000)
• Kansas State (+30000)
• Houston (+35000)
• Georgia Tech (+40000)
• Kentucky (+40000)
Best bets to win the National Championship
Best favorite
Oregon at +800 is one of my favorite bets to win the national championship.
At some point, the Ducks have to get over the hump. They’re 48-8 under Dan Lanning, and this has consistently been one of the best teams in college football. The next step is winning the big one.
Dante Moore is a huge reason I think this could be the year. He completed 72% of his passes for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns last season and now enters 2026 as a candidate for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The arm talent was never a question. Now he has the experience, command of the offense, and another offseason to improve.
I also love the running back room. It’s easily one of the best in the country.
Defensively, Oregon should be nasty again. The Ducks finished seventh nationally in total defense last season and bring back a loaded defensive front.
There are some questions along the offensive line, but there really aren’t many holes on this roster. At +800, I’m willing to bet this is finally the year Oregon puts everything together.
Best value bet
If I’m looking further down the board, Texas A&M at +2500 is my value pick.
The Aggies went 11-2 last season and reached the College Football Playoff. I think Marcel Reed can take another significant step in his second full year as the starter. He threw for more than 3,100 yards and 25 touchdowns last season while remaining dangerous with his legs.
There’s plenty around him too. Rueben Owens gives A&M another weapon in the backfield, Mario Craver returns at receiver and the defense was rebuilt through the portal. The offensive line, which replaces most of their production, is my biggest concern, but there’s enough talent throughout this roster to overcome it.
The schedule isn’t easy with trips to LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma. But A&M avoids Georgia and gets Texas and Tennessee at home.
At +2500, I need a roster with championship upside and a legitimate path to the playoff. I think A&M checks both boxes, and the price is significantly longer than several teams I don’t think are substantially better.
Best longshot
Nobody sitting at +7000 is likely to win the national championship. That’s why they’re +7000. But if I’m throwing a dart, Florida is the team I think could make the biggest jump.
Talent wasn’t really the problem last season. The Gators needed a reset, and Jon Sumrall brings exactly that after going 43-12 over four seasons at Troy and Tulane. He also brought in Buster Faulkner to run the offense, which should give this team a completely different identity.
I love the skill-position talent. Jadan Baugh is one of the best backs in the SEC after rushing for 1,170 yards last season, and Evan Pryor gives Florida another explosive option. The receiver room isn’t bad either, with Eric Singleton Jr., Vernell Brown III and Dallas Wilson giving whoever wins the quarterback job plenty to work with.
And then there’s The Swamp. When the Gators are hot, Gainesville is not somewhere anybody wants to play.
There are major questions at quarterback and along the offensive line, so I’m not pretending this team doesn’t have holes. But at +7000, I’m betting on the possibility that new coaching, talented roster and one of the best home-field advantages in college football can create a much bigger jump than the market expects.
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Best bets to reach the National Championship game
Best favorite bet
I know in another column I talked about Notre Dame potentially missing the CFP, but they’re more likely to reach the national championship game than miss the playoffs.
The 2025 numbers were ridiculous. Notre Dame ranked third nationally in overall offensive efficiency, fourth in both rushing and passing efficiency, and 10th defensively. This wasn’t just a team beating up on bad competition. They were dominant on both sides of the ball and proved it week in and week out.
Now CJ Carr enters year two after throwing for 2,741 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions, and Notre Dame has loaded up around him. The defense returns a ton of experience, while the receiving corps should be deeper than it was last season.
But the schedule is probably my favorite part of the bet. Notre Dame has a realistic path to 11-1 or better, and because it remains independent, there’s no conference championship game waiting at the end of the regular season.
That extra week could be huge. While other contenders are playing another physical game against an elite opponent, Notre Dame gets to rest, recover, and prepare for the CFP.
For a team good enough to make a deep run anyway, I think that gives the Irish a massive advantage.
Best value bet
Miami getting back to the national championship game back-to-back years after such a long time between the last two is nearly impossible. Yet, the odds are in our favor for a small sprinkle.
It starts in the trenches. Mario Cristobal has built this team around the offensive line, and Alex Mirabal is one of the best offensive line coaches in college football. There are four new starters, but the talent is ridiculous, including former No. 1 overall recruit Jackson Cantwell. I trust this staff to have that group ready.
Darian Mensah is also a massive addition. He threw for 3,973 yards with 34 touchdowns and just six interceptions at Duke last season. PFF graded him at 85.0 as a passer, while his 3,951 PFF-charted passing yards ranked first among Power Four quarterbacks.
He also finished second with 34 touchdowns and seventh with 28 big-time throws. PFF has him ranked as the No. 6 quarterback in the country entering 2026.
The defensive line lost some serious talent, but I still expect it to be a strength. Ahmad Moten is back after producing nine tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and 20 pressures, while Missouri transfer Damon Wilson II had nine sacks and more than 50 pressures last season.
And the schedule is pretty friendly. Miami avoids both SMU and Louisville in ACC play and could realistically be undefeated when it travels to Notre Dame in November.
Miami was already a few plays away from winning the national championship last season. Now it might have upgraded at the quarterback position. At +600, I think there’s plenty of value in betting the Hurricanes to get right back there.
Best longshot
This is a long shot, so proceed with caution, but Ole Miss at +1200 is probably the team further down the board that interests me most.
Trinidad Chambliss is a big reason why. He threw for 3,937 yards with 22 touchdowns and just three interceptions last season, finishing eighth in Heisman voting after taking over the starting job. We already know he can play at a high level against SEC competition and in the CFP.
The offense also brings back Kewan Lacy after a 1,567-yard, 24-touchdown season, so there’s plenty of firepower around Chambliss.
My main reason for liking Ole Miss is the potential for improvement up front on defense. Will Echoles is back after 11.5 tackles for loss, and Ole Miss added Jehiem Oatis and Michai Boireau inside, plus Blake Purchase and Jordan Renaud on the edge. That group has a chance to be much deeper and more disruptive.
Ole Miss just made a CFP semifinal and won 13 games.
Who is the favorite to win the National Championship?
Ohio State is currently the betting favorite to win the national championship at +600.
Julian Sayin returns after a Heisman finalist season, Jeremiah Smith is arguably the best player in college football, Bo Jackson is back at running back, and four starting offensive linemen return. The defense has more to replace, but Ohio State has enough talent and depth to reload quickly.
College football National Championship betting strategy
My national championship betting strategy is pretty simple. I rarely bet a team before the season starts.
The favorites are usually priced too short, and the long shots are mostly a crapshoot. I’d rather wait a few weeks, see which teams are better than expected and start building out my power rankings with actual data.
That’s basically what happened with Indiana last year. I didn’t get some insane preseason number, but I still got them around +600 once it became clear they were a complete team. Even when they struggled against Penn State, they found a way to win, and at that point it just felt like they had everything you want from a championship team.
For me, it’s about patience. I wait until my power rankings are stronger, compare them to the market and look for teams where my numbers disagree with the odds. That’s usually where I find the best value.
When is the best time to place a futures bet?
I actually prefer waiting until the season starts. Preseason favorites are usually priced aggressively, while most long shots are difficult to separate without seeing them play.
After a few weeks, we have real information. We know which quarterbacks look better than expected, which offensive lines are holding up, and which defenses are actually legit. That’s when I update my power rankings and start looking for teams whose futures odds haven’t caught up to how good they really are.
The exception is major news. If an injury, transfer, or depth-chart change creates an obvious edge before sportsbooks adjust, I’m willing to move quickly.
Which teams have the easiest path to the College Football Playoff?
Texas Tech stands out as having one of the cleanest paths to the CFP. The Red Raiders avoid BYU, Utah, and Kansas State, while several of their toughest games come at home.
Miami also has a favorable draw, avoiding both SMU and Louisville in ACC play, while Penn State misses Oregon, Ohio State and Indiana. SMU is another team worth watching because it avoids Miami and Clemson during conference play.
Schedule strength isn’t everything, but when you’re betting CFP futures, avoiding two or three elite opponents can be the difference between 9-3 and 11-1.
