Who Will Win The National Championship: CFB Predictions & Picks

College football is right around the corner. The elephant in the room: Who will win the national championship this season? Betting on the natty champ is one of the best college football futures markets to sweat all year. We’ll run through the current national title odds, expert analysis, and dive into which teams actually have a chance to wear the CFB crown!

National Championship Predictions and CFB Odds

Our college football guru has penciled in three bets for who he thinks will win the national championship, which includes a nice long-shot pick at mega odds.

Will Clemson Win The National Title?

There are three specific boxes I want checked when choosing a National Championship team. Do they have an elite quarterback? Can they win at the point of attack? Do they have an elite head coach? Clemson checks all of those boxes.

If you’ve read my posts before, you know I love Cade Klubnik to win the Heisman Trophy this season. He was incredible last season, throwing for 36 touchdowns with only 6 interceptions. He added 7 touchdowns on the ground as well.

Clemson returns four starters on the offensive line, and they project to have one of the better lines in the NCAA this season. The Tigers have massive bodies at tackle to go along with high-end talents in TJ Parker and transfer Will Heldt at the ends. Their secondary also features NFL talent if there are unforeseen issues up front.

Truthfully, I’m not a Dabo Swinney guy. I disagree with a lot of his views on College Football in general, but you can’t ignore his success. He’s a two-time National Champion with nearly 10 ACC titles. He checks the boxes of an elite head coach.

Where to bet: Clemson Tigers to Win the National Championship | +1300 at FanDuel Sportsbook

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Can Alabama Win The CFB Championship?

This is the first time we’re really going to see Head Coach Kalen DeBoer’s fingerprints on Alabama. The offense should look more like his time at Washington when Michael Penix Jr. and company looked unstoppable.

The success of the Crimson Tide will essentially come down to their quarterback play. Ty Simpson looks as if he’ll be the starter, and he’s someone I feel great about. The key here is that if he struggles, Alabama can swap to Austin Mack or Keelon Russell to find what they need. They have options to get the offense to an elite level.

The defense continues to be a bright spot for Alabama, and that isn’t expected to change this season. If the offense can put up points, they should find plenty of wins on their way to the playoffs.

Where to bet: Alabama Crimson Tide to Win the National Championship | +1100 at FanDuel Sportsbook

Long Shot Pick: Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois has great value per its national title odds. When bettors are considering who will win the national championship, the Fightins are a nice long-shot pick.

I wanted to throw one long shot in here, and Illinois is the perfect team at great national title odds. They’re a veteran team that replaced most of their NFL production through the transfer portal. It’s fair to believe their team is better than their 10-win team in 2024.

Luke Altmyer took a massive step forward in 2024. His touchdown rate increased by 1.5% while his interception rate dropped 2%. He’ll be looking for another step forward in 2025. He has all five of his linemen returning. He’s also returning a trio of running backs. Illinois lost some receiver production to the NFL, but they added Hudson Clement in the transfer portal.

On the defensive side of the ball, they return some of their top players. They have outstanding linebackers and a deep secondary. Illinois revamped its defensive line through the transfer portal, including Wisconsin product James Thompson Jr.

It’s difficult to imagine Illinois being in the National Championship conversation, and rightfully so. But they have a veteran team, and they can make a College Football Playoff push if Altmyer takes another step forward. These odds give you a hedge opportunity, then.

Where to bet: Illinois Fighting Illini to Win the National Championship | +17000 at FanDuel Sportsbook