$5,000 in CFB National Championship Bets

You’ve been given money to spend on five grand in CFB National Championship bets. So how do you spend it? Is Georgia the way to go? What are the value plays? Here are six college football National Championship bets that I’m looking to spend this money on.

$5,000 in CFB National Championship Bets

Alabama Crimson Tide – National Championship Odds: +600 – Money Spent: $2125

Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide have been arguably the best program over the past 15 years. They’ve won six titles since 2019. So why aren’t they the favorite this year?

The answer is simple – Georgia. The Bulldogs have won the past two championships and are favorites to three-peat. That being said – both teams are seeing a lot of turnover from last season. Both teams will also be featuring new starting quarterbacks. There’s a ton of talent on both rosters, but also a lot of questions yet to be answered.

Year after year, Alabama has loaded up its roster with five-star recruits. Key offensive pieces are back – seniors Jace McClellan at running back and Jermaine Burton at wide receiver should be difference-makers this year. The talent is definitely there, and we’ll take this price on Alabama over getting +225 on a Georgia three-peat.

Michigan Wolverines – National Championship Odds: +1000 – Money Spent: $1250

Michigan painfully missed an appearance in the championship game last year. TCU’s groundbreaking upset of the Wolverines truly shocked the world. Make no mistake – Jim Harbaugh wants that one back.

He’s not the only one, either! Michigan is returning a load of talent from last year that should only improve the team from last season. This talent is headlined by two Heisman dark horses – Blake Corum and running back, and JJ McCarthy at quarterback. Both of these guys put up huge seasons in 2022 and will be looking to build on their NFL resume in 2023.

The big game every year for Michigan is, of course, the end-of-season tilt against Ohio State. Last season, they won on the road. This year, Michigan will host the Buckeyes. Win that game, and Michigan should have a safe place within the College Football Playoff bracket.

USC Trojans – National Championship Odds: +1600 – Money Spent: $825

Last year’s Heisman trophy selection was an easy one – Caleb Williams. Caleb had 544 first-place votes. The next best was 188 from Max Duggan. Furthermore, the Trojans were so close to College Football playoff glory last season. Unfortunately, Williams was injured during the PAC 12 Championship and could not play at 100%. This year, I expect Williams to come back with Heisman in hand and a chip on his shoulder.

Caleb Williams isn’t the only thing that USC has to be excited about, either. 15 new transfers have joined the team this year – with nine of them being 4-star prospects. Many of these players will make an immediate impact on both sides of the ball. This should only bolster the team’s prospects going forward.

Make no mistake; the PAC 12 will be tough this season. The competition may not match what we see year after year in the SEC, but there are a number of tough matchups to contend with. USC will play out-of-conference Notre Dame, Utah, Washington, and UCLA all over the back half of the season. But, if they can make it past those games, they are a great college football National Championship pick.

Tennessee Volunteers – National Championship Odds: +3000 – Money Spent: $425

Joe Milton lost his starting quarterback job to Hendon Hooker last season. The question is – how will he respond? There’s a lot of negativity toward his place on the Volunteers team – but he’s earned back his place as the starter again for a reason. I expect that Milton will have learned much from his time on the bench last year. I am excited to see how he looks going into 2023.

Alabama looks to be the only team standing in the way of Tennessee’s place in the SEC Championship game. If Alabama faulters at all – Tennessee should have a real shot at a college football playoff appearance. Winning the SEC championship game is no easy task, but the Volunteers would most likely control their own destiny at that point with a “win-and-in” scenario.

Oklahoma Sooners – National Championship Odds: +6000 – Money Spent: $250

It feels a little strange to see the Oklahoma Sooners with these kinds of long odds going into a season, but here we are. The good news is that head coach Lincoln Riley and the Sooners had a big off-season. The recruiting class is a great one – if senior Dillon Gabriel can’t perform at quarterback, big-name freshman recruit Jackson Arnold is ready to go. Oklahoma also added seven high-impact transfers that will play on both sides of the ball.

Another thing that they have going for them this season is a winnable conference. The Red River Rivalry matchup against the Texas Longhorns stands out on the schedule – besides that game, they should be clear favorites in many, if not all, of their matchups. As a result, the Sooners feel like a great way to spend five grand in CFB National Championship bets.

North Carolina Tarheels – National Championship Odds: +12500 – Money Spent: $125

We all know that Caleb Williams is the sure Heisman frontrunner – but Drake Mayne isn’t too far behind. Mayne is expected to be a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and will for sure be using this upcoming NCAA season to polish that resume.

North Carolina should have an easy road to the ACC Championship game to play whoever comes out on top between Clemson and Florida State. However, they have a case for a playoff spot if they can make it through their fairly easy schedule without any hiccups and pull out a win in the championship.