The next College Football Playoff National Championship is on Monday, January 25, 2027, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and you can bet it two ways: now, as a futures bet on which team wins the title, or in the week of the game, on the spread, the moneyline and the total. On ESPN’s futures board read September 25, 2026, DraftKings had Ohio State as the title favorite at +520.
Indiana is the reigning champion after beating Miami 27-21 on January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. That game shows how each market settles, so this guide uses it throughout.
Betting the title as a futures bet
A futures price is a chance: +520 implies 16.1%. The board below covers the six favorites, and together they add up to 76.7% before the other 100 teams on it are counted, which is the book’s margin at work.
| Team | Title odds | Implied chance |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | +520 | 16.1% |
| Texas | +620 | 13.9% |
| Georgia | +650 | 13.3% |
| Notre Dame | +650 | 13.3% |
| Miami | +850 | 10.5% |
| Indiana | +950 | 9.5% |
This is the 2026 season’s market: it prices Indiana, the champion of the season just finished, which a settled market could not. A futures bet is worth making only when you rate the team’s chance higher than the price does. DraftKings also posts markets on which teams reach the semifinals and the title game, which pay less and need fewer wins.
Betting the title game itself
The January 2026 final had Indiana as a 7.5-point favorite at DraftKings, with the total at 47.5 and the moneyline at Indiana -310, Miami +250. Indiana led 10-0 at halftime and won by six.
| Market | Closing line | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Indiana -310, Miami +250 | Indiana won |
| Spread | Indiana -7.5 | Miami covered: Indiana won by 6 |
| Total | 47.5 | Over: 48 points |
That is the game in one table: the favorite won, the underdog covered and the total went over. A -310 favorite implies 75.6%, so backing Indiana on the moneyline paid $32.26 on a $100 bet.
How the team gets there
The final ends a 12-team College Football Playoff. Five conference champions earn automatic bids, the top four seeds get a first-round bye, and the first-round games are played at the higher seed’s home stadium, according to the College Football Playoff.
| Round | Dates |
|---|---|
| First round | December 18 and 19, 2026 |
| Quarterfinals (Fiesta, Peach, Cotton, Rose) | December 30, 2026, and January 1, 2027 |
| Semifinals (Orange, Sugar) | January 14 and 15, 2027 |
| National championship | January 25, 2027 |
A team without a bye has to win four games to take the title, and a top-four seed three. That is why a futures price on a team likely to play in the first round should be longer than one on a likely top seed with the same strength.
Recent national championship games
| Season | Winner | Score | Site |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Indiana | 27-21 over Miami | Hard Rock Stadium |
| 2024 | Ohio State | 34-23 over Notre Dame | Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
In the 2026 final, Miami outgained Indiana 342 yards to 317, and Indiana won with no turnovers to Miami’s one.
Where to follow it
Our national championship odds track the title board through the season, and the College Football Playoff page holds the bracket. For the week’s games, see our top college football picks and the team hub, and for the rest of the bet types, our college football betting guide.
Paid handicappers’ college picks are on the leaderboard and our expert picks page. Sign up for our handicapping service to get them before kickoff.