2025 NCAA Football Championship Odds: Clemson Still Owns the ACC
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Rainman M.
- April 30, 2025
Top NCAAF Pick: ACC Winner – Clemson (+160) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
Get ready for the 2025 college football season as we take an early look at the NCAA Championship futures odds. With kickoff just a few months away in August, we break down the top contenders and highlight the best value bets on the board.
NCAAF Championship Winner Odds
Clemson’s Offense Last Year
The Tigers return significant pieces from an offense that ranked 19th last year with 33.5 points per game.
Cade Klubnik gets the rare benefit of playing for the same offensive coordinator for a third straight year. He also gets to build chemistry with the same group of wide receivers.
He was already the ACC’s third-leading passer last year. The two quarterbacks ahead of him, including Miami’s Heisman finalist and the top overall pick in the NFL Draft, Cam Ward, are now in the NFL.
Clemson has had great success in churning out NFL-ready running backs. Based on Spring Game performances, David Eziomume and pass-catching threat Gideon Davidson look to be Clemson’s next two big names at the position.
Tom Allen and Returning Pieces
The Tigers’ returning production on defense is likewise significant, with big names along the defensive line and in the linebacker and secondary groups returning.
Their key is to improve against the run. When they almost lost to SMU in last year’s ACC title game, the Mustangs leaned on the running of Brashard Smith, who is, anyhow, currently in the NFL.
Tom Allen just spent one year at Penn State. In that year, the Nittany Lions ranked eighth in run defense. Expect a similar improvement from Clemson’s well-stocked run defense, which will complement in its excellence a pass defense led by Avieon Terrell, whom PFF ranks as the nation’s fourth-best cornerback.
Takeaway
Clemson is undoubtedly the best team in this conference.
Miami and Louisville already lagged behind last year, even though they were quarterbacked by early-round selections Cam Ward and Tyler Shough, respectively.
SMU lost important pieces on defense, including players like leading tackler Kobe Wilson, who made its run defense as great as it was. Its pass defense was poor, and it will miss its best pass-rushers from last season.
With Tom Allen improving their run defense, the Tigers are so complete on both sides, even if SMU’s Kevin Jennings were to surpass Klubnik, despite the latter’s supporting cast, as the ACC’s best quarterback.
As the cherry on top, Clemson’s schedule appears favorable. The Tigers dodge Miami and get SMU at home, whereas the Mustangs travel to Clemson and face Miami.
NCAAF Pick: ACC Winner – Clemson (+160) at BetOnline
Seeking Value in the Big Ten
With Ohio State’s immense loss of production on both sides, which includes eight starters on defense, two starting running backs, a starting wide receiver, and the starting quarterback, Oregon’s schematic issues on defense and its loss of its Heisman finalist quarterback among other stars and starters on both sides of the ball, and Penn State’s notorious tendency to lose big games against Big Ten rivals, the Big Ten feels wide open.
As such, the move is to look for a nice plus-money option. My favorite option is Nebraska.
History says that this is going to be a great year for the Cornhuskers, who enter their third year under Matt Rhule’s tenure.
Nebraska’s head coach won ten games in his third year at Temple and eleven in his third year at Baylor.
Raiola Ready to Shine
With a year of experience under a very well-reputed offensive coaching staff that helped develop superstar Patrick Mahomes, former five-star prospect Dylan Raiola is primed for a breakout season, as he enjoys the developmental opportunity in his second season that Michigan’s hyped-up quarterback lacks as a freshman. Raiola also enjoys plenty of talent at wide receiver.
Defensive Strength on All Levels
Their likewise well-coached defense will build on its ranking of 20th last season. The Cornhuskers added or are developing valuable pieces on all three levels of their defense.
The defensive line is well-stocked, with guys like freshman All-American honorable mention Cameron Lenhardt. Their depth at linebacker is solid, with versatile pieces like Javin Wright, who is a hard-hitter but is still able to cover opposing pass-catchers, and freshman All-American second-team selection Princewill Umanmielen. Cornerback is supposed to be a relative weakness, yet All-Big Sky first-team selection Andrew Marshall will have a big impact.
This is a solid Nebraska team on both sides that gets Michigan, in what will be its new quarterback’s fourth game, at home. While it travels to Penn State, Franklin’s ineptitude in big games persists regardless of location. The Cornhuskers benefit from a schedule that is very favorable overall.
NCAAF Pick: Big Ten Winner – Nebraska (+4000) at BetOnline
Seeking Heisman Value
I find it ridiculous that Arch Manning is favored to win the Heisman. He hasn’t proven anything after failing to beat out Quinn Ewers for the starting quarterback job last season because he, among other reasons, failed to make throws, especially in the middle of the field. With Manning, you are simply betting on his last name.
While Raiola is a good option, we are essentially already betting on him to be a real candidate to win the award by investing in Nebraska to win the Big Ten.
An even more ridiculously priced option is Sam Leavitt, quarterback at Arizona State.
Leavitt helped lead the Sun Devils to a Big 12 title last year. He was an efficient passer who threw 24 touchdowns to 6 interceptions and ran for at least 60 yards in multiple games.
Video footage shows how great his arm is, the effortlessness with which he throws downfield. Take his arm strength, his ability to make tough throws, his decision-making, and his mobility, and you have a complete package that gets the benefit of competing in a lower-quality conference that will help ensure that he gets the attention that comes with playing on a good, playoff-caliber team.
NCAAF Pick: Heisman Trophy Winner – Sam Leavitt (+4000) at BetOnline
Auburn’s Win Total Over Relies on Jackson Arnold
After the Tigers finished 5-7 last year, their win total is listed at 7.5
People generally think that the Tigers will make a strong step forward this season.
However, this optimism is predicated on the expectation that their choice at quarterback works out for them. Jackson Arnold has transferred from Oklahoma.
Now, given his supporting cast, Arnold didn’t always have it easy last season.
However, it’s unjustified to blame his supporting cast entirely, because Michael Hawkins Jr. played about as well as he did overall and performed better against teams like Tennessee.
Video footage shows that Arnold had opportunities and, when it came down to him, commonly struggled. His decision-making and his awareness in the pocket were terrible, as evident in the times he threw into double or even triple coverage and in the number of sacks that he took, many of which resulted in fumbles.
Sure, he can theoretically make the necessary throws. That’s why he was a five-star prospect. But five-star prospects obviously don’t always turn out well, because what matters is performance on the field. This is a guy who lacks composure on the field, misses open targets, and is simply a bad quarterback.
Schedule
Auburn has to play Georgia and Alabama. The Tigers travel to Texas A&M, which is a notoriously strong home team. They also travel to Oklahoma, whose defense will still be really good and whose personnel and coaching staff will produce a radically better offense. A fifth loss will come against Vanderbilt — Auburn’s head coach is 0-3 against teams led by quarterback Diego Pavia. The Tigers could very well also lose their opener at Baylor, against Missouri, and at Arkansas.
NCAAF Pick: Auburn Under 7.5 Wins (+120) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
