The Georgia Bulldogs defeated their SEC archrivals from Alabama in the college football championship last season and claimed their first national title since 1980. Yet, despite the Dawgs’ status as reigning champs, they are not the oddsmakers’ top choice to take home the hardware this season. That distinction belongs to – who else – Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide at preseason odds of +200, as they will seek a stunning seventh championship crown under his stewardship.
The Bulldogs are the second choice at odds of +350 and the rest of the top five includes Ohio State (+500), Clemson (+900), and Texas A&M (+3000). But should we get down on these very early prices or perhaps it might be better to wait to see what the rosters look like when September rolls around? Only you can make that choice.
Below OddsTrader will reveal the odds on the nation’s preseason favorites, courtesy of FanDuel, and will give a preview of the top 10 teams entering the 2022 season. Let’s take a good, hard look at the college football odds and analyze which teams could bring us moneymaking possibilities.
OddsTrader’s Betting Edge
• Bryce Young will return to Alabama for his junior season after tossing 47 touchdowns and over 4800 yards in his first year as a starter.
• The Ohio State Buckeyes watched two of the best wideouts in the business, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, get selected at No. 10 and No. 11, respectively, in the NFL Draft.
• Texas A&M had the top recruiting class in the nation with nine 5-star, 20 four-star, and one three-star recruit.
• USC will see Caleb Williams, a transfer from Oklahoma, pulling the trigger on the Trojans’ offense, reuniting with his former head coach at Oklahoma, Lincoln Riley.
• Oklahoma’s offensive will return three starters but the two that departed were the only offensive linemen to receive honorable mention all-conference honors last season.
Here you’ll find the odds for the Top 10 college football teams. All odds are courtesy of FanDuel.
| 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 |
OddsTrader’s Preseason Top 10
Alabama Crimson Tide (+200)
- 2021 Record: 13-2
- Final Ranking: No. 2 – National Championship – Lost to Georgia
As long as Nick Saban is in Tuscaloosa, the Tide will be one of the favorites to win a national title. Last season’s Heisman Trophy winner, Bryce Young, will return for his junior season after tossing 47 touchdowns and over 4800 yards in his first year as a starter.
Last year’s team ranked No. 6 in points scored, averaging 40.9 points per game, but the ferocious defense we have come to expect from Saban’s Bama boys was not nearly as intimidating. The Crimson Tide’s secondary was pedestrian at best last year but we suspect there will be a marked improvement in 2022.
Georgia Bulldogs (+350)
- Last Year’s Record: 14-1
- Final Ranking: No. 1 – National Championship – Defeated Alabama
The Bulldogs beat the Tide at their own game: defense. And it was a stone-cold, tough-as-nails D that stopped teams dead in their tracks. Georgia was ranked tops in points allowed (9.5 PPG) and No. 2 in total yards allowed, trailing only Wisconsin, but was not the offensive juggernaut we normally see in national champs.
Stetson Bennett returns under center and the offense should be in decent shape but there was a mass exodus from last year’s stellar defensive unit that will see only three starters returning. But if anyone can restock the shelves with top-notch talent, it is Georgia head coach, Kirby Smart.
Ohio State Buckeyes (+500)
- 2021 Record: 11-2
- Final Ranking: No. 6 – Rose Bowl – Defeated Utah
The Buckeyes were the architects of an aerial blitzkrieg throughout the 2021 season and CJ Stroud was their ace pilot. The 6’3” sophomore will try to duplicate his efforts this year when he led Ohio State to a nation’s best, 45.7 points per game.
But like all elite teams, OSU had its fair share of superb talent walk out the door as the Buckeyes watched two of the best wideouts in the business, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, get selected at No. 10 and No. 11, respectively, in the NFL Draft. However, replacing the seemingly irreplaceable is what great coaches do and the Buckeyes should be the cream of the Big 10 crop again this season.
Clemson Tigers (+900)
- 2021 Record: 10-3
- Final Ranking: No. 14 – Cheez-It-Bowl – Defeated Iowa State
The Tigers’ precipitous fall from grace last season was not completely unexpected after Trevor Lawrence vacated for the bright lights of the NFL. DJ Uiagalelei was underwhelming last season as Lawrence’s replacement but he will return to lead the Tigers’ offense again unless someone beats him out of the job.
However, Clemson does possess several speed merchants that will ignite what was a sluggish aerial attack last season. Meanwhile, running back Will Shipley will be a welcome sight returning to the backfield while the defense should be solid enough to contribute to an ACC title.
Texas A&M Aggies (+3000)
- Last Year’s Record: 8-4
- Final Ranking: Unranked – No Bowl (Covid)
Consistency will be the key for the Aggies, a team that slew a giant dragon in Alabama last year but wound up with a rather uninspiring 8-4 record. There will be an interesting quarterback competition in College Station as five-star recruit, Conner Weigman, last year’s backup Haynes King, and LSU transfer Max Johnson all battle for the honor.
Our bet to win the Texas A&M starting job is on Johnson who passed for over 2800 yards with 27 touchdown passes against just six picks on a lackluster LSU squad last season.
Texas A&M had the top recruiting class in the nation with nine 5-star, 20 four-star, and one three-star recruit. But the Aggies will have a target on their backs when they travel to Tuscaloosa on October 8th when they play a Bama team that will be hellbent on revenge.
USC Trojans (+4000)
- 2021 Record: 4-8
- Final Ranking: Unranked – No Bowl
Big things are expected from the Trojans this year after a dismal 4-8 season in 2021. USC will see Caleb Williams, a transfer from Oklahoma, pulling the trigger on the Trojans’ offense. Williams passed for 21 touchdowns and 1912 yards with only four picks in the eight games he started after replacing Spencer Rattler midway through the season.
Williams reunites at the Coliseum with his former head coach at Oklahoma, Lincoln Riley. The tandem will be joined by another Oklahoma transfer, wide receiver Mario Williams, all of whom will be tasked with elevating the Trojans to the top of the Pac-12 heap.
Oklahoma Sooners (+4000)
- 2021 Record: 11-2
- Final Ranking: No. 10 – Valero Alamo Bowl – Defeated Oregon
Brent Venables replaces Lincoln Riley in Norman this season and will see UCF transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel replacing Caleb Williams under center. The Sooners should be well prepared with nine starters returning and a stronger secondary is expected with transfer portal recruits CJ Coldon (CB), Kani Walker (CB), and Trey Morrison (safety) on the way.
Oklahoma’s offensive will return three starters but the two that departed, Marquis Hayes (left guard) and Tyrese Robinson (right tackle), were the only offensive linemen to receive honorable mention all-conference honors last season.
Michigan Wolverines (+5000)
- 2021 Record: 12-2
- Final Ranking: No. 3 – CFP Semifinal – Lost to Georgia
Michigan made it to the CFP last season, the first time under Jim Harbaugh’s coaching tenure in Ann Arbor, before bowing to the eventual national champs from Georgia. This year we will see quarterback Cade McNamara trying to retain his starting role but his subpar performance against an elite Georgia defense in the CFP semifinal game could open the door for former 5-star recruit J.J. McCarthy.
The biggest void in the Michigan defense will be trying to replace the irreplaceable Aidan Hutchinson, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. His departure, coupled with linebacker David Ojabo’s trip to the next level, will be a herculean challenge for Harbaugh.
Florida Gators (+6000)
- 2021 Record: 6-7
- Final Ranking: Unranked – Gasparilla Bowl – Lost to UCF
The Gators welcomed Billy Napier as their new head coach in the offseason and he will try to resurrect a program that lost six of its eight conference tilts last season on their way to an underwhelming 6-7 mark. Anthony Richardson is expected to supplant last year’s quarterback, Emory Jones, who transferred to Arizona State.
Montrell Johnson followed his coach from Louisiana to Florida and will likely get a strong look as the primary running back this year. Johnson ran for 838 yards and 12 touchdowns on 162 carries and will likely battle Nay’Quan Wright for the starting role.
Wisconsin Badgers (+6000)
- 2021 Record: 9-4
- Final Ranking: Unranked – Las Vegas Bowl – Defeated Arizona State
The Badgers still have the bitter taste of defeat on their lips after losing their last regular-season game to rival Minnesota as seven-point road favorites, preventing them from challenging for a Big Ten title. The biggest task for Wisconsin, this season, will be increasing their red zone touchdown percentage.
The Badgers ranked eighth in the Big 10 in that category, converting only 53 percent of its opportunities into the end zone.
Props and Bonuses
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Shop for Odds
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College Football Power Rankings
Getting keen insight into how each of the playoff teams stacks up is easy when you check out the OddsTrader College Football Power Rankings page. Here you will see the average line, the power line suggested by OddsTrader’s AI algorithms, and the Bettor’s Edge which is the difference between the two.
College Football Computer Picks
If you go to the OddsTrader College Football Computer Picks section you can see what the OT algorithms project and how the results compare to those predictions.
College Football FAQ’s
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