This is our ninth and final installment of the college football championship odds and we now have our national championship finalists. Georgia is exactly where many predicted they would be at the beginning of the season, defending their title.
However, there hasn’t been a Cinderella story in college football any more stunning than TCU, yet here they are, ready to battle for their first college football national championship since 1938.
Below, you will find the adjusted national championship college football odds for the two CFP challengers, so let’s talk about these teams and gain a better perspective of which team is in the driver’s seat to claim the national title.
And before we analyze the possible CFP entries below, don’t forget to explore the many handicapping tools available to you right here at OddsTrader. Whether it is our college football computer picks, our power rankings, or the injury reports, there is always something for everyone.
The OddsTrader Betting Edge
• Georgia head coach, Kirby Smart, said, “He (Bennett) showed great competitive character. But he’s got to play within our system, (and) he’s got to do what he’s coached to do or you can’t win games.
• Smart went onto say, “He didn’t get those (game-winning) opportunities until the defense stopped them, and we got fortunate to stop them a couple of times. He must play better if we expect to win the next one.
• TCU head coach, Sonny Dykes, took a 5-7 team and has led them to a national championship appearance in his first year at the helm.
• They just played really tough football, hard-nosed football. Believed in each other, believed in their teammates, and just found a way to overcome and persevere,” Dykes said. “It’s kind of what we’ve done all year. We did it tonight. That’s who we are.”
CFP Odds
Below you’ll find the odds for the final two CFP entries. All odds are courtesy of FanDuel.
| CFP Finalist | National Championship Odds |
|---|---|
| Georgia Bulldogs | -465 |
| TCU | +350 |
How it Started – Preseason National Championship Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Alabama Crimson Tide | +200 |
| Georgia Bulldogs | +350 |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | +500 |
| Clemson Tigers | +900 |
| Texas A&M Aggies | +3000 |
| USC Trojans | +4000 |
| Oklahoma Sooners | +4000 |
| Michigan Wolverines | +5000 |
| Florida Gators | +6000 |
| Wisconsin Badgers | +6000 |
| LSU Tigers | +7000 |
| Utah Utes | +8000 |
| Penn State Nittany Lions | +8000 |
| Oregon Ducks | +8000 |
| Notre Dame Fighting Irish | +8000 |
| Miami (FL) Hurricanes | +8000 |
| Ole Miss Rebels | +8000 |
| Texas Longhorns | +10,000 |
| Oklahoma State Cowboys | +10,000 |
| Tennessee Volunteers | +10,000 |
| Michigan State Spartans | +15,000 |
| South Carolina Gamecocks | +15,000 |
| Kentucky Wildcats | +15,000 |
The Finalists
1. Georgia Bulldogs -12 ½ (-115) at FanDuel
- Current Record (14-0)
- Notable Wins – Oregon (49-3), Tennessee (27-13), LSU (50-30), Ohio State (42-41)
The Bulldogs roared back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit in the CFP semifinals and secured a 42-41 victory over the mighty Ohio State Buckeyes. Stetson Bennett tossed three touchdown passes and 398 yards, while the Bulldogs’ rushing attack was held to 135 yards with Kenny McIntosh leading the way with 70 yards on five carries.
As impressive as Bennett’s stats were, he had a troublesome third quarter in which he completed only 1-of-4 passes for a meager 17 yards as Ohio State scored 10 unanswered points and moved ahead, 38-24, entering the final stanza.
And that did not go unnoticed by Georgia head coach, Kirby Smart, as he reminded the world that the Bulldogs are the gold standard for college football teams and he expects nothing less, even from his star quarterback.
“He (Bennett) showed great competitive character. But he’s got to play within our system, (and) he’s got to do what he’s coached to do or you can’t win games.”
Smart went on to say, “He didn’t get those (game-winning) opportunities until the defense stopped them, and we got fortunate to stop them a couple of times. He must play better if we expect to win the next one.”
2. TCU Horned Frogs +13 (-110) at BetMGM
- Current Record (13-1)
- Notable Wins – Oklahoma (55-24), Kansas (38-31), Oklahoma State (43-40 2OT), Kansas State (38-28), Texas (17-10), Michigan (51-45)
TCU defied the odds yet again and shocked the world, as well as the Michigan Wolverines, by defeating them 51-45 and punching their ticket to the CFP Championship game. The Horned Frogs set the tempo of the game early by stopping Michigan on fourth and goal early in the first quarter followed by a Bud Clark 41-yard pick-six that gave TCU an early lead.
By the time the second quarter arrived, the Frogs held a 14-0 lead until Michigan finally got on the board with a Jake Moody 41-yard field goal. However, TCU would never trail in this game despite Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy’s 343 passing yards. But TCU’s rushing attack was relentless, with Emari Demercado garnering 150 of the Frogs’ 263 yards.
TCU’s quarterback, Max Duggan, connected on just 14-of-29 for 235 yards and two touchdowns along with two picks. But although the TCU passing attack wasn’t overly impressive, Dugan did find the end zone twice on the ground for four combined touchdowns.
TCU head coach, Sonny Dykes, took a 5-7 team and has led them to a national championship appearance in his first year at the helm.
“They just played really tough football, hard-nosed football. Believed in each other, believed in their teammates, and just found a way to overcome and persevere,” Dykes said. “It’s kind of what we’ve done all year. We did it tonight. That’s who we are.”
College Football FAQs
Question: Where can I bet on the 2023 College Football National Championship?
Answer: The best online sportsbooks are the safest online sportsbooks, which are those licensed in jurisdictions where online sports betting is legal in the United States. The top-rated books are BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel, PointsBet, Bet365, Unibet, SugarHouse, BetRivers, SBK, MaximBet, and DraftKings. All offer a wide variety of NCAAF props, futures, and point spreads.
Question: What types of bets are popular with college football?
Answer: The most popular bet is the point spread bet where the underdog is getting points or the favorite is giving points. However, moneylines, where no point spread is involved have grown increasingly popular, as have over/under, or total bets, where bettors can wager over or under on the combined total of the two teams in that game.
Question: Do I have to bet a lot?
Answer: No, the minimum bet is as low as $1 and accounts can be funded with as little as $10 at many of the books across the nation.
