As the race to the 12-team College Football Playoff begins, the current BetMGM odds to win the national championship highlight a few clear frontrunners. Georgia and Ohio State are leading the pack with the shortest odds to win the CFP at +300 and +325, respectively. Following closely are Oregon and Texas, with odds of +700 and +800. Alabama and Ole Miss are both priced at +1500, while LSU, Penn State, and Notre Dame each have odds of +2000. Michigan is trailing with the longest odds at +2500.
My Best Bet: Penn State +2000
I think we are getting some good value here on Penn State at 20/1 odds to win the CFP. I know that Ohio State has beaten them seven straight times, and will be better than them once again this season as well, but they really aren’t that huge of a leap forward when you look at the odds. The Buckeyes are +325 while the Nittany Lions are +2000, and I think the teams are closer than that. I love the new addition of offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki from Kansas, who deploys an offense with a ton of pre-snap motion and misdirection. He ripped up the Big-12 last season with the Jayhawks.
The defense is still a top unit in college football, even with some turnover, so it will come down to the offense again for Penn State. QB Drew Allar took care of the ball last season, but they never really had any sort of explosive passing attack. They will need to be better in 2024 if they want a shot. PSU avoids Michigan and Oregon on their schedule, but once again must face the Buckeyes. The good news is that, outside of one other date against USC, the schedule is pretty easy. They should be double-digit favorites in every game outside of those two.
If they can win one of those key games, they should make the expanded playoffs, and anything can happen once they get in.
Want to tail or make a different NCAAF bet? CLICK HERE, sign up for a new BetMGM account, make your first deposit and redeem up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets!