Ohio State Consensus National Championship Favorite Ahead of Busy Week 7

Posted on: October 11, 2022, 12:18h. 

Last updated on: October 11, 2022, 12:37h.

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Six weeks into the college football season, Ohio State has emerged as the consensus favorite to win the 2022 College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship.

Ohio State odds college football Alabama Georgia
Ohio State coach Ryan Day preps his Buckeyes football team ahead of a game in 2021. The Buckeyes are currently the consensus betting favorites to win the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship. (Image: Getty)

Though the SEC holds four of the top 10 spots in the Associated Press Top 25, it’s the Buckeyes out of the Big Ten that have the slimmest odds of hoisting the CFP National Championship Trophy. The title game is played on January 9, 2023, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Ca.

The consensus line among legal books in the US has Ohio State at just +180 (9/5). That implies a chance of nearly 36%, with a winning $100 wager on that line netting $180.

Georgia, the defending champions and currently No. 1 in the AP Top 25, is next at +220. No. 3 Alabama is third at +250.

Buckeyes Bump

Georgia and Alabama have shared the front-runner national title status for much of the 2022 college football season. But with Ohio State playing at a seemingly unrivaled level and possessing an easier schedule path to the CFP, bettors like their chances more than the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide.

ESPN reports that it’s the first time since November 2020 that Alabama or Georgia hasn’t been the consensus championship favorite. BetMGM says Alabama and Georgia, along with Ohio State, account for almost 60% of its national championship futures action.

Georgia and Alabama — unlike Ohio State — have recently shown vulnerabilities. Two weeks ago, Georgia squeaked by unranked Missouri, 26-22. And last Saturday, the Crimson Tide avoided a massive upset against an unranked Texas A&M team by winning 24-20.

Besides that first game against Notre Dame, Ohio State has looked invincible,” said Joey Feazel, the head of college football trading for Caesars Sportsbook. “But I think really the move to get Ohio State to the top of the board was because Georgia and Alabama have shown hints of being beatable.”

Ohio State (6-0) has the weekend off.

Packed Saturday

The CFP National Championship picture will be much clearer after this Saturday, as six ranked unbeatens go head-to-head.

No. 10 Penn State (5-0) kicks off the packed Saturday at noon EST in “The Big House” in Ann Arbor against No. 4 Michigan (6-0). The Wolverines are favored by a touchdown, and the over/under is at 52 points.

No. 3 Alabama (6-0) plays in Knoxville against No. 6 Tennessee (5-0), with kickoff set for 3:30 pm. The Crimson Tide are 7.5-point favorites and the over/under is at 65.5 points.

No. 8 Oklahoma State (5-0) visits Fort Worth to take on No. 13 TCU (5-0) — also a 3:30 pm game — in what’s expected to be a nail-biter. The home team is a 3.5-point favorite, and the total points are at 68.5.

Undefeated No. 7 USC (6-0) also has a tough task ahead with No. 20 Utah (4-2). The Trojans are favored on the road by 3.5 points in the 8:00 pm nightcap. The over/under is at 65 points.

No. 1 Georgia (6-0) is expected to make easy work of unranked Vanderbilt (3-3) at home. The Bulldogs are 38-point favorites, and the total points are at 58.5.