Eric Uribe
Don’t look now, but the college football season is less than two months away. Right now, in the dog days of the summer, would be an ideal time to make an NCAA 2021 futures bet. You’ll have to wait until January’s College Football Playoff to get a possible payday, but hey, at these odds, it’ll be a hefty payout if you hit on the wager!
Speaking of NCAAF odds, here are the top-5 college teams getting the best chance to win the national title, per online oddsmakers:
| Team |  |  |
| Alabama | +260 | +275 |
| Clemson | +550 | +350 |
| Georgia | +650 | +1000 |
| Oklahoma | +650 | +800 |
| Ohio State | +675 | +600 |
No surprises above as all the usual college contenders are featured. But that’s smart handicapping by bookies. You see, since the CFP system was installed in 2014, 12 of the 14 teams that ended up in the title games were one of the programs listed above. The other two outliers? Oregon in 2014 (lost in final) and LSU in 2019 (won the natty title).
Will 2022 be a case of deja vu? We think so, as you’ll find out below. These three teams should get your attention first when making this futures wager:
Alabama
As long as Nick Saban is ruling over Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide needs to be a no-brainer pick to win the national championship. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Saban has led Bama to the title game in five of the seven seasons since the CFP became a thing — winning three of those, including last year when they shellacked Ohio State in the process.
Sure, Alabama lost a lot of talent to the NFL Draft, especially on the offensive end. But that’s not a new problem for Saban. Anytime one of his players becomes a first-round pick (which is often), he replaces them with another five-star player. Rise and repeat.
To help keep its offense rolling, Saban hired former Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien to become his newest offensive coordinator. Say what you will about O’Brien, but that’s quite the get for the Tide.
Saban and O’Brien will be handing the keys of the offense to sophomore quarterback Bryce Young. He’s on the smaller side, but expect Young to be as dangerous with his feet as any Bama quarterback in the Saban era. Young is a magician when it comes to evading pressure and extending plays, which could prove to be explosive for the Tide attack.
Clemson
Just like Bama is an automatic pick in this category, so is Clemson. Dabo Swinney has qualified for six straight playoffs and proven to be a foil for Saban. On two different occasions, the Tigers have upset the Tide in the championship game.
The big question mark for Clemson is the heir apparent to Trevor Lawrence, one of the most highly-regarded quarterbacks to come out of college football. But guess what? His replacement under center, DJ Uiagalelei (try repeating that last name really fast), might be a first overall pick in his own right come 2023.
No, he’s not as polished as Lawrence was, but the talent is evident. He filled in for Lawrence last year on two different occasions and flashed big-play potentially plenty and often. We’re betting that Uiagalelei picks up where last year’s Tiger offense left off and helps leads the team to a deep playoff run (again).
Miami
Alright, we wanted to take a less conventional route with our third and final betting pick. The first two were obvious choices, but this next one is more of an under-the-radar choice.
For us, that’s The U. For the first time in a long time, the Hurricanes have a game-changing signal-caller. That’s D’eriq King, a transfer from Houston. In 2018, King put together a Heisman-contending season with the Cougars. In case you forgot, his final stat line that year was 3,600 yards of offense, 42 scores, and only six interceptions. Like we said, game-changing talent at the most important position!
Miami does open the season against Bama, which likely ends in a loss. But we could forsee them running the table from there on out to sneak into the playoffs. And once you’re in the final four, anything can happen!
Looking for more NCAAF national championship odds for every single FBS program, from Toledo to San Diego State and everyone else in between? You need to pay a visit to one of the bookmakers on the table underneath! They carry betting lines for not only this futures bet, but others like which player will win the Heisman Trophy. Then once the college football season kicks off, you’ll also find great prices on weekly games.
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