Early Betting Picks to Win the 2018-19 National Championship

Last year, Alabama and Georgia produced one of the most exciting national championship games in history, with the game going to overtime — and Alabama winning on an unlikely bomb. As we look ahead to the fall, let’s look at some NCAAF betting insights on who will be playing for the crystal football next year.

Early Betting Picks to Win the 2018-19 National Championship

1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ days until college football returns! Who’s ready? 🏈

— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) May 22, 2018

National Championship Contender Odds

• Alabama                                              11/4
• Clemson                                              6/1
• Georgia                                               15/2
• Ohio State                                           15/2
• Michigan                                             9/1
• Penn State                                          11/1
• Oklahoma                                           18/1
• Auburn                                                20/1
• Texas                                                  20/1
• Miami (FL)                                           22/1
• Wisconsin                                            22/1
• LSU                                                     25/1
• Michigan State                                                25/1
• Washington                                         28/1
• Florida State                                       33/1
• Notre Dame                                        33/1
• Stanford                                              33/1
• Texas A&M                                         33/1
• USC                                                    33/1
• Virginia Tech                                       33/1
• West Virginia                                       33/1
• Florida                                                 50/1
• Oregon                                                50/1
• TCU                                                    50/1
• UCLA                                                  75/1
• Arizona                                                100/1
• Boise State                                         100/1
• Kansas State                                      100/1
• Mississippi State                                 100/1
• Missouri                                               100/1
• North Carolina State                           100/1
• Oklahoma State                                  100/1
• Central Florida                                                100/1
• Utah                                                    100/1
• Wake Forest                                       100/1
• Iowa                                                    150/1
• Nebraska                                            150/1
• Northwestern                                      150/1
• South Carolina                                    150/1
• Washington State                               150/1

Games to Watch

Auburn – Washington (Week 1)

If Auburn loses this game, its College Football Playoff hopes would likely be dashed — unless they can beat Alabama and Georgia — both on the road — in November in SEC play. Washington isn’t likely to have a tough Pac-12 schedule (remember, last year they were a conference left out of the CFP altogether), so that loss would hurt considerably. If Washington loses the game, even if they can run through the Pac-12, they would have a hard time getting to the CFP with that loss on their resume.

Texas – Oklahoma (Both times?)

The matchup between Texas and Oklahoma each year at the State Fair of Texas is one of the more unique football games each year, taking place at a neutral site. With Tom Herman restoring the Longhorns to their traditional glory, and with Lincoln Riley keeping Oklahoma elite after the departure of Bob Stoops, this will be the signature game in the Big 12 this year. Thanks to the fact that the Big 12 does not have divisions but instead pits the top two finishers in the standings against each other, this could produce the odd situation of one team either having to win both of those matchups, or at least the second one, to make it into the College Football Playoff.

Clemson – South Carolina

This game comes during rivalry week — and is the last game on Clemson’s regular-season slate. They will face a South Carolina team that, for the first time in years, has the talent to win the SEC East — which means they could have dethroned Georgia by this point. If South Carolina can beat Clemson here, that could knock the Tigers out of the College Football Playoff altogether.

Other Thoughts

Wisconsin won 13 games last year, but their loss in the Big Ten Championship kept them out of the College Football Playoff. There is no one in the Big Ten West that will challenge them. However, they will have to get past Michigan, Ohio State or Penn State in the Big Ten Championship game. They still have that grinding philosophy, on both offense and defense, and the question remains whether it will be enough to get them past an elite team in the other division. Central Florida ordered rings and a banner and declared themselves the 2017 national champions after going undefeated and beating Auburn in the Peach Bowl (who had defeated Georgia and Alabama in the regular season before losing to Georgia in the SEC title game). The Knights play North Carolina, Pitt and dangerous FAU in non-conference play and then have a tough AAC schedule. If they go 12-0 again, how do you leave them out of the playoff?