College Football National Championship Predictions & Odds 2024: Ohio State Stays on Top

Ohio State remains the favorite to win the college football national championship, but the Oregon Ducks are closing in, and Georgia isn’t far behind them. 

The Bulldogs jumped from +700 to +480 after beating Tennessee at home. Oregon is behind Ohio State at +440 after narrowly beating Wisconsin 16-13. 

We have just a couple of weeks left before the conference title games, and before you know it, the College Football Playoff will be here. 

Below, I’ll check out the latest national championship odds, examine the top favorites, look at an underdog, and more.

National Championship Odds

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National Championship Favorites to Win

Ohio State Buckeyes (+320) at FanDuel

The Buckeyes beat Northwestern last week 31-7 thanks to two passing touchdowns from quarterback Will Howard and two rushing scores from running back Quinshon Judkins. 

Their only loss this season came on the road to Oregon, and it was far from a decisive win. 

In that game, Howard didn’t slide fast enough to give Ohio State a chance to kick a game-winning field goal. They ended up losing 32-31. 

Ohio State ends their season at home in back-to-back games, hosting Indiana and Michigan. 

Michigan is a shell of itself, but Indiana is the No. 5 team in the country with a 10-0 record, the most wins in program history. 

Ohio State is tied with the Army, allowing just 10.3 points per game, the fewest in the country. 

This is a team loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. They’re my favorite to win now. 

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Oregon Ducks (+440) at FanDuel

As mentioned, the Ducks just got by Wisconsin, beating them 16-13. 

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel had 218 passing yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. 

He peppered Evan Stewart with plenty of targets. He caught 10 passes for 92 yards.

Running back Jordan James continued to play well, rushing 25 times for 121 yards and one touchdown. 

This win was certainly made possible by kicker Atticus Sappington, who scored three field goals. 

Following this game, Oregon is eighth in points allowed (15.7) and ninth in passing yards allowed (168.8) per game. 

The Ducks have a Week 13 bye before finishing off the regular season against Washington. 

Oregon has an excellent offense and a solid defense, but I’m not sure they can beat Ohio State on a neutral field. 

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Georgia Bulldogs (+480) at FanDuel

The Bulldogs suffered a crushing loss against Ole Miss a couple of weeks ago, but last week, they beat Tennessee decisively, 31-17. 

For the first time in four games, quarterback Carson Beck didn’t throw an interception. Instead, he had 347 passing yards and two touchdowns. This was a nice bounceback for the signal caller. 

Georgia will face UMass in Week 13 at 8-2. 

Their defense allows 18.3 points per game, which is the 14th in the nation. 

It’s hard for me to trust Beck against higher-level opponents. I wouldn’t bet on them to win the national championship right now. 

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Texas Longhorns (+550) at FanDuel

Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns in a 20-10 win over Arkansas. 

The rushing attack had 139 yards, with Jaydon Blue going for 83 and Quintrevion Wisner going for 59. 

Over the last four games, which included a loss at home to Georgia, 30-15, Ewers has 12 touchdown passes and three interceptions. 

The Longhorns finish this season against Kentucky and Texas A&M.

The Longhorns excel against the pass, allowing 136.7 yards per game, the least in the country, but they also allow just 249 total yards per game. That’s also the least in the country. 

I’d rather bet on Texas than Georgia to win the national championship. Texas has an excellent defense and a solid quarterback.

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National Championship Underdogs 

Penn State (+1800) at FanDuel

Penn State crushed Purdue 49-10. 

Quarterback Drew Allar completed 17 of 19 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns. Backup quarterback Beau Pribula also threw and ran in a touchdown. 

Tight end Tyler Warren had three carries for 63 yards and a touchdown, and he caught eight passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. 

Penn State lost to Ohio State 20-13, but this is a stout defense. 

They allow just 13.6 points per game. They could realistically beat any team. 

At +1800, there’s a lot of value here for a team with a strong defense, a quarterback who’s a bit up and down but has shown plenty of flashes, and a do-it-all player like Warren.

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Top 10 National Championship Teams in 2024

Ohio State

Ohio State allows just over 10 points per game, and they have talent everywhere, including two NFL-caliber running backs, three top-tier receivers, and a quarterback that works well with this team around him. 

They’re the team to beat. 

Oregon

They escaped Wisconsin but remained undefeated. Gabriel has the highest completion percentage in the country among all quarterbacks, with at least 100 attempts. 

Georgia

Beck finally didn’t throw an interception, but they don’t have an elite-level defense like years past, and again, Beck’s inconsistent play leaves a lot to be desired. 

Texas

Texas has arguably the best defense in the country, especially against the pass. Ewers has been red-hot over the last three games, coming off a loss against Georgia. 

Alabama

Quarterback Jalen Milroe is the epitome of a dual-threat quarterback. The Crimson Tide are eighth in points per game at 39.5. 

Ole Miss

Ole Miss is coming off a Week 12. They beat Georgia the week before 28-10. This is one of the best offenses out there, averaging 539.6 yards per game, which is second in the nation. 

Penn State

Penn State dismantled Purdue, and their points per game allowed average is down to 13.6, which is fifth in the nation. Allar has been OK, throwing seven touchdowns and four interceptions (three against USC) over the last five games. 

Notre Dame

Notre Dame is a run-first team, and quarterback Riley Leonard has posted more rushing touchdowns (13) than passing touchdowns (12) this season. 

The team averages 216.7 rushing yards (12th) per game and will take on Army this week. 

Indiana 

With 10 wins, Indiana has the most wins in a season in program history. This week, they take on Ohio State on the road. This will be a tough game, but Indiana averages 43.9 points (second) and holds opponents to 72.2 rushing yards (first) per game. 

Miami (FL)

Miami is coming off a bye week after losing to Georgia  Tech. This is still the best offense in the nation, averaging 544.8 yards, 368.2 passing yards, and 45 points per game. These all lead the country.

National Championship History

Since 2014, the College Football Playoff has been the primary way of deciding the national champion. However, this Playoff has always been four teams. In 2024, that’s changing. It’s now 12 teams instead of four, which will allow more programs a shot at bringing home the title. This will certainly result in some underdogs winning a championship more often than in the past. 

The Crimson Tide have the most appearances with eight and won the most games with nine. 

Here are all of the national champions since the Playoff was introduced. 

How to Bet on the National Championship

In betting on the national championship, you’ll be wagering on the dedicated futures betting market. There are other markets you can wager on that indirectly apply to it, like conference winners, but the only true way to wager on who will win the national championship are futures and when the day of the actual game comes, moneyline, point spread, totals, parlays, props, and more.

Where to Bet on the National Championship

College sports betting is available in all legal sports betting states, but there are some prohibited markets. 

I’ll touch on that below and list the top online sportsbooks for wagering on the national championship and college football as a whole. 

• Arizona (AZ): Cannot wager on college player props.

• Colorado (CO): Cannot wager on college player props.

• Connecticut (CT): You cannot wager on teams based on Connecticut unless they’re in a tournament. 

• Delaware (DE): Cannot wager on in-state teams

• DC: Cannot wager on DC-based teams or any college games occurring in the region. 

• Illinois (IL): Cannot wager on college player props. You can wager on in-state teams if done at retail sportsbooks. 

• Indiana (IN): Cannot wager on college player props.

• Iowa (IA): Cannot wager on college player props.

• Kansas (KS): No restrictions.

• Kentucky (KY): No restrictions.

• Louisiana (LA): No restrictions.

• Maryland (MD): No restrictions.

• Massachusetts (MA): You cannot wager on teams based in Massachusetts unless they’re in a tournament. 

• Michigan (MI): No restrictions.

• Mississippi (MS): Cannot wager on college player props. 

• New Jersey (NJ): Cannot wager on in-state teams

• New York (NY): Cannot wager on games involving New York-based schools or player props. 

• North Carolina (NC): No restrictions. 

• Ohio (OH): You cannot bet on college player props.

• Pennsylvania (PA): Cannot bet on college player props. 

• Tennessee (TN): Cannot wager on college player props, including live college player props. 

• Vermont (VT): You cannot wager on teams based in Vermont unless they’re in a tournament. 

• Virginia (VA): Cannot wager on college games that include Virginia teams. 

• West Virginia (WV): You cannot bet on college player props. 

• Wyoming (WY): No restrictions.

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