What Are College Football Futures Bets?

College football futures are long-term bets, which may be placed on outcomes that aren't settled until multiple games have been played or the end of the season. The most popular examples include the outright National Championship victor, while you can also wager on college football win totals and the winner of the coveted Heisman Trophy at FanDuel Sportsbook.

We'll explore these markets in more detail below, while appraising the best value bets in the 2025/26 campaign.

📊 Current FanDuel Futures Market

Market Type Top Pick FanDuel Odds
Heisman Trophy Arch Manning (Texas) +700
National Champion Texas Longhorns +550
SEC Winner Texas Longhorns +260
Win Totals Penn State Over 10.5 -340
Make Playoffs Ohio State Buckeyes -320

💡 Pro Tip: Always check current odds at FanDuel as lines move throughout the season. View all futures markets →

*Odds subject to change. Last updated: Loading...
Click here for current FanDuel odds
Market Type When Settled Example Bet Odds Best Time to Wager
Heisman Trophy December Arch Manning (Texas Longhorns) +700 Preseason / As early as possible
National Champion January Texas Longhorns +550 Preseason
Conference Winners December Texas Longhorns to win the SEC +260 Preseason
Win Totals End of Regular Season (December) Penn State Over 10.5 Win (Big 10) -340 Summer / early in the season
To Make the Playoffs December Ohio State Buckeyes -320 Preseason
Player Props Season End QB (Arch Manning) to Complete 4,000+ Yards +250 Preseason

⚡ Futures vs Game Bets - How Futures Differ: There are significant differences between NCAAF futures and matchday bets. Futures will tie up a portion of your bankroll for longer (potentially the entire season), while matchday bets are settled in hours. However, futures tend to unlock enhanced odds and multiple potential winners, especially when you bet early on favorites. See all FanDuel futures →

Heisman Trophy Odds 2025

While wide receiver Travis Hunter won the award in 2024, quarterbacks typically dominate the Heisman trophy odds. In fact, only four non-quarterbacks have claimed the prize since 1997, while most of the 2025 Heisman favorites play at QB for their designated side.

Current Heisman Odds

The early Heisman odds have been impacted by the departure of Dillon Gabriel to the NFL, who starred for Oregon in 2024 and threw over 15,000 passing yards in college football. He will ply his trade for the Cleveland Browns in 2025/26. Carson Beck, who amassed 3,485 passing yards last season, has also left the Georgia Bulldogs and will now represent the Miami Hurricanes.

Here's a summary of the very latest 2025 Heisman odds from FanDuel, alongside our own value analysis:

Player Position Team FanDuel Odds Probability Value Analysis
Arch Manning QB Texas Longhorns +700 12.5% An accurate and powerful passer with a strong running game
Cade Klubnick QB Clemson +900 10.0% Passed 3,639 yards in 2024/25 and returns for the new season
Garrett Nussmeier QB LSU +900 10.0% Registered 337 pass completions last season
Jeremiah Smith WR Ohio State +1100 8.3% Posted 1,315 receiving yards in 2024/25
Carson Beck QB Miami +1800 5.3% Passed 3,485 yards and ranked 13th last season
Drew Allar QB Penn State +1800 5.3% Averaged 8.4 yards per pass attempt in 2024/25
Ty Simpson QB Alabama +1800 5.3% A relative novice who only offers outside value

⚠️ College Player Prop Restrictions: Heisman futures and player props are restricted in 18 states. Check your local regulations before betting. View available markets at FanDuel →

Heisman Betting Strategy

Of the seven favorites listed above, six play as a quarterback for their respective teams. Quarterbacks who represent playoff qualifiers are statistically more likely to win too, which is why Arch Manning offers such excellent value in 2025/26.

There are various trends that you can use to inform your own Heisman predictions and picks. Here are some examples and the betting strategies that you build on top of them:

Trend Success Rate Example Betting Strategy
Quarterback Wins 85% since 2005 Back Arch Manning at +700 Fade non-quarterbacks, while focusing on starting QBs
Representing a Playoff Team 75% played for playoff winners (since 2014) Target quarterbacks who play for Texas, Penn State or Ohio Check team futures and identify those with the highest probability of reaching the playoffs
September Heisman Picks 20%-win rate overall Early favorites often fade in the betting market While preseason betting unlocks the highest odds, consider delaying your bet until a couple of weeks in to the season

Regardless of your broader strategy when picking college football futures, it's important that your picks are informed and data driven. If you do pick a quarterback Heisman winner, for example, look for players with a completion rate above 60.0% and a minimum of 7.0 yards per individual passing attempt.

Typically, Heisman contenders will throw 4000+ yards during the season. Each of the top-ranked quarterbacks in 2024/25 also threw at least 22 touchdowns throughout the campaign. By tracking early performance stats and averages, you can make more informed long-term bets.

🎯 Heisman Value Bets for 2025/26

We'll bring this section to a close by picking our best value Heisman betting odds for the 2025/26 campaign. These include:

  1. Pick Carson Beck at +1800: While playing for the Bulldogs last season, Carson ranked 13th for passing yards (throwing 3,485 in total). He also ranked joint-fifth for interceptions and will now represent a strong Miami team that has a 35.0% chance of making the playoffs this season. Beck can be backed at highly competitive outright odds of +1800.
  2. Back Arch Manning Early at +700: Much is expected of Arch Manning, who has finally been confirmed as the Longhorns' starting QB for 2025/26. Manning has completed 8,539 passing yards and thrown 115 touchdown passes during his college career, while he also has a strong rushing game. If you bet early, you can unlock genuine value on Manning at odds of +700.
  3. Consider Wide Receiver Jeremiah Smith at +1100: Last year, Travis Hunter became only the fourth non-quarterback to win the Heisman award in the 20th century. Fellow wide receiver Jeremiah Smith could replicate this achievement in 2025/26, having placed fourth for total receiving yards last season (1,315). He'll also represent the defending national champions Ohio this year, with the Buckeyes having a 76.2% chance of qualifying for the cfb playoffs.
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College Football Win Totals 2025

You can also bet on college football win totals in 2025. This is expressed as an over/under market for each team, in which sportsbooks will set different win totals as individual betting lines. Popular college football over under win totals include six and 10, with these lines driving significant betting volumes.

Team Win Totals Over/Under

Below, we've compiled a selection of the most popular college football over under win totals for 2025/26. You'll also find our recommended picks and a summary of the win-loss records from last season.

Team Regular Season Win Total Over Odds (FanDuel) Probability Last Year's Record (Conference) Our Pick
Texas 10+ -190 65.5% 13-3 (7-1 SEC) ✅
Penn State 10+ -340 77.3% 13-3 (8-1 Big 10) ✅
Clemson 10+ -230 69.7% 10-4 (7-1 ACC) ✅
Notre Dame 10+ -195 66.1% 14-2 ✅
Oregon Ducks 10+ -190 65.5% 13-1 (9-0 Big 10) ✅
Arizona State 10+ +195 33.9% 11-3 (7-2 Big 12) ❌
Michigan 10+ +145 40.8% 8-5 (5-4 Big 10) ❌
Utah 9+ +115 46.5% 5-7 (2-7 Big 12) ✅
USC 8+ -170 63.0% 7-6 (4-5 Big 10) ✅
Florida Gators 6+ -425 81.0% 8-5 (4-4 SEC) ❌

Win Totals Strategy

In addition to considering the above odds and lines, it's important to consider other factors before making your own college football win totals predictions. We'll summarize these in more detail below, while analyzing how they're likely to impact your betting strategies.

  • Schedule Strength: This is a crucial consideration, as it factors in scheduled matches against ranked opponents and tough road games. For example, the Florida Gators have the toughest strength of schedule rating of .678 rating in 2025/26, as they face eight ranked opponents and tough trips to LSU, Miami and Kentucky. So, there may be value in backing them to win under 6 matches this season.
  • Returning Production: Teams that are returning high quality players (particularly quarterbacks and those who populate the offensive line) could offer enhanced but often overlooked value in the market. For example, Clemson are returning 17 starters in 2025/26, including influential QB Cade Klubnik and wide receiver TJ Moore. So, getting on them to record 10+ wins during the regular season is highly recommended here.
  • Coaching and Coordinator Changes: Coaching and coordinator changes can also help determine the best value odds ahead of a new season. For example, UNLV have lost the influential Barry Odom as head coach, with the less seasoned Dan Mullen taking the reins. Defending national champions, the Ohio Buckeyes, lost both their defensive and offensive coordinators during the winter. They lost 14 players to the NFL draft too, so they offer minimal value to record 10+ wins at odds of -270.
  • Transfer Portal Activity: No state lost more players to the NFL draft than Ohio, leaving them weakened ahead of the new season. Conversely, their Big 10 rivals returned 14 players during the offseason, including quarterback Drew Allar and linebacker Tony Rojas. This affords them greater value in the early college football win totals betting market, while also making them popular conference and National Championship picks.

💰 Win Total Best Bets

Before you place your college football win totals bets in 2025, here's our pick of the best value lines at the time of writing:

  • Texas Longhorns Over 10 Wins (-190): The Longhorns are the number one ranked preseason team and have won 25 of their last 30 college games. They've reached two consecutive CFP semifinals too, and they'd be priced considerably shorter in this market were it not for the competitiveness of the SEC.
  • Michigan Under 9.5 Wins (-200): Despite a favorable strength of schedule rating of .444, they've lost star defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant during the offseason. They also lack offensive structure and depth in the wide receiver position, and it could be a tough campaign for them.
  • Utah Over 9 Wins (+115): Utah only just missed out on the preseason top 25 according to the AP, after adding the impressive Devon Dampier from New Mexico at QB. They definitely have an exciting offense, while their losing 5-7 record in 2024/25 had much to do with an extensive injury list. They're primed to bounce back in the Big 12 and offer value to win over 9 matches in total.
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Conference Championship Odds

Other popular college football futures predictions include Conference picks. From the stacked SEC Conference to the two-team Pac-12, each market offers variable value and different levels of risk. You'll find the latest conference championship odds below, as we focus on the so-called Power Four divisions.

Power 4 Conference Winners

SEC Conference

Team FanDuel Odds Probability Value Analysis Our Pick
Texas Longhorns +260 27.8% High value, beaten conference finalists in 2024 and have won 25 of their last 30 games ✅
Georgia Bulldogs +300 25.0% Defending conference champions, but only returned 7 starters in the offseason ❌
Alabama +480 17.2% Have a favorable .467 strength of schedule rating and face just five road games ❌
LSU +650 13.3% 4th ranked SEC team in preseason, but have a tough SoS rating of .599 ❌
Texas A&M +1500 6.3% Minimal value as an outside pick, but play just one road game before October 18th ❌
View All SEC Odds at FanDuel →

Conference Betting Strategy

Across the Power of 4 conferences, futures betting unlocks excellent value. This is because they're generally competitive and feature several potential winners, with each of four favorites in 2025/26 having an implied win probability of 33.3% or less.

The SEC and Big 10 Conferences offer the most potential winners, as collectively they include 16 of the top 25 ranked preseason teams. However, it's the Big 12 that's arguably the toughest to call this season, with four teams all priced between +550 and +650.

Picking the Big 12 winner in 2025/26 unlocks the highest odds, but you can increase your chances of winning by Dutching. This would involve taking your stake and distributing it between two or more potential outcomes, in order to guarantee at least a nominal profit.

Using our own Dutching calculator, you could take a $100 stake and split this strategically between Texas Tech, Arizona State and the excellent Utah. This reveals a guaranteed return of at least $226.74 (and profit of $126.74) if one of your picks prevails, while unlocking a combined implied probability value of 44.1%.

📊 Conference Betting Considerations

  • SEC: 10 of the top 25-ranked teams in preseason ply their trade in the SEC. However, number one-ranked Texas are the conference's only team in the top four, while they're the most consistent team in the country with 25 wins in 30 competitive games. Whoever you back, however, there may be value in hedging against pick in the conference final. [View SEC Odds at FanDuel]
  • Big Ten: Eastern teams have dominated the Big 10 since 2014, including Penn, Michigan and defending National champions Ohio. Even though Oregon won the conference last season and went 9-0 in the Big 10, they've only returned five starters during the offseason. [View Big 10 Odds at FanDuel]
  • ACC: Although the ACC throws up unpredictable matchday results, defending champions the Clemson Tigers have won eight of the previous 10 conference titles since 2015. The side also returned 16 players ahead of the new season and have been ranked 4th by the AP in preseason. [View ACC Odds at FanDuel]
  • Big 12: Since Oklahoma's dominance was ended in 2020, there have been four different winners of the Big 12 conference. There's no obvious favorite in 2025/26, with Texas Tech, Utah and defending champion Arizona State all similarly priced. This division unlocks the best dutching and hedging opportunities. [View Big 12 Odds at FanDuel]
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Additional College Football Futures

Some of the best college football futures bets are props. Such wagers can unlock significant value and help you to leverage any detailed knowledge that you have about individual players and teams. Below, we'll take a closer look at the best season-long props and how to bet on them.

Player Prop Futures

Player specials focus on metrics like passing, rushing and receiving yards, while such markets usually comprise over/under lines. These typically unlock nominal odds but implied probability values above 50.0%.

Prop Bet Type Example Pick Line FanDuel Odds / Probability Strategy
Passing Yards Arch Manning (Texas) O/U 3000.5 Yards -114 (53.3%) Bet over the consensus line -- the Longhorns have six winnable home games and won by an average margin of +21.5 points in 2024
Rushing Yards Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame) O/U 1075.5 Yards -114 (53.3%) Favor betting over the consensus line -- Love completed 1,125 rushing yards last season and ran in 17 TDs
Receiving Yards Ryan Williams (Alabama) O/U 1050.5 Yards -114 (53.3%) Bet Over - Williams' debut season saw him compile 865 receiving yards. However, he averaged 18.0 yards per reception and will produce higher output in 2025/26

⚠️ Player Props Restrictions: Remember that college player props are prohibited in 18 states. Check your state regulations before betting on any player-specific markets. Check available markets in your state at FanDuel →

Alternative Team Futures

Outside of classic college football futures like conference winners, there's a host of alternative team props available online. These will focus on collective metrics that aren't directly related to outright wins, such as scoring, match victories and whether or not a side will go undefeated during the regular season.

Market Example Pick FanDuel Odds Value Analysis
Undefeated Regular Season Penn State +420 (19.2%) A statistically rare occurrence that has become more common over time. There have also been 34 undefeated national champions since 1990
Team Scoring Clemson to Score 1+ Rushing Touchdown in Every Regular Season Game +300 (25.0%) The Tigers scored 66 TDs last season include 23 rushing touchdowns in 14 matches
Conference Wins Texas to Win Over 9.5 Games in the Regular Season -188 (65.3%) The Longhorns won 13 matches in 2024 and have prevailed in 25 of their previous 30 games overall

College Football Futures Betting Strategy

Before you pick and bet on specific cfb futures for 2025/26, it's important to consider the timing of your wager. You must schedule your college football futures bets to reflect the nature of the market and its typical line movements, with this key to maximizing value.

When to Bet Futures

Each NCAAF futures bet is different, particularly in terms of what triggers line movement and when odds changes occur. Below, you'll find a summary of the most popular futures and when to bet on them (or adjust your lines).

Market / Strategy Bet Window Timing Reasoning
Win Totals May - July Before initial line movement Lock in value early, especially when backing relatively low-priced outcomes
Heisman Trophy Late August / Early September Prior to Week 1 matches being completed Access high value odds while informing your picks with Week 1 averages
Adjusting Lines Early Season After watching the first 3 gameweeks This enables you to view teams and identify early performance and result trends
Hedging Opportunities Midseason Conference Matchups Protect profits by hedging outright picks - Perhaps in Championship finals

💰 Bankroll Management for Futures

Whether you bet on the latest Heisman odds 2024 or conference winners, bankroll management is key when picking futures. Here are some key strategic tips to help maximize your starting bankroll:

  • Max 10% of bankroll in futures: Remember, college football futures will tie up a portion of your bankroll over time. To maintain liquidity, bet no more than 10% of your total bankroll on futures markets.
  • No more than 2% per bet: You should also bet a suitable bet unit as a percentage of your futures bankroll. Cap this at 2% per wager as a general rule, although this can be adjusted depending on odds and value.
  • Leave room for hedging: You should also set aside a percentage of your futures bankroll for hedging. This creates insurance and allows you to guarantee profits ahead of a Conference game or National Championship final. You can use our hedging calculator to know the exact amounts to guarantee profit or minimize losses.
  • Track with a Bankroll Calculator: You can also use our Bankroll Calculator to manage your funds. This enables you to set a viable bankroll and bet unit, which can be managed according to your risk profile.
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How to Hedge College Football Futures

Hedging describes the process of opposing an existing bet with additional wagers. The purpose of this is to protect profits when your original wager is close to winning. So, if you pick Texas to win the SEC and they ultimately face Georgia in the Conference game, you can potentially guarantee a nominal profit by backing the Bulldogs to win.

Hedging Strategy

Of course, there are various cfb futures scenarios that can play out during a season. Here are some of the most common and the best potential hedging strategies.

Scenario Original Bet Hedge Opportunity Tips
Heisman Trophy Leader Preseason bet on Arch Manning at +700 Bet against Manning in December Use the Hedge Calculator to reveal your hedge bet stake
Conference Champion Texas Longhorns to win the SEC at +260 Bet against their opponent in the Championship game Calculate your potential profit per stake before confirming your hedge stake
National Champion Penn State to win the National Championship at +700 Hedge your futures pick in selected playoff games Pick tight and competitive playoff matches to hedge, guaranteeing maximum value
Win Total Utah to win 9+ games at +115 Bet under if possible Seek to lock in at least a nominal profit if Utah perform worse than expected

📈 Real Hedging Example - Arizona State Championship Hedge

  • Preseason: Bet $100 on Arizona State to win the Big 12 +550 = $550 potential win
  • Arizona qualifies for the Conference final against Utah
  • Utah is priced at +158 to win the game (an implied probability of 38.8%)
  • Back Utah at $213.18 - $336.82 potential win
  • Bank a guaranteed profit of $236.82 regardless of which team wins

Ready to hedge your bets? Place hedge bets at FanDuel for guaranteed profits →

Tracking Your Futures Bets

Of course, college football futures odds can change over the course of a season. So, we'd recommend that you track your college football futures over time, so that you can identify real-time value and potential hedging opportunities.

Odds Movement Tracking

The real issue with tracking some cfb futures is that odds can fluctuate after every single game. Other markets may adjust according to more sporadic events, such as a player injury or loss. Here's an overview of how specific events can impact selected NCAAF futures.

Event Example Impact on Odds Your Action
Big win Texas beats Ohio State in Week 1 - National Conference price falls from +550 to +400 Shorten Hold your position
Player Injury Texas QB Arch Manning out injured - 2025 Heisman odds drift from +700 to +1000 Lengthen Hedge your original bet proactively
Heavy Team Loss Undefeated conference team experiences heavy and surprise loss - conference futures odds drift from +260 to +400 Lengthen Significantly Evaluate and monitor the next result before considering hedging

🛠 Tools for Tracking

Best College Football Futures Bets

Analysis of futures betting markets and the potential outcomes can help you to identify value bets. These are characterized as betting lines where the actual probability value is higher than the odds imply. Through our own expert analysis, we've been able to identify and share our college football futures best bets.

Expert Futures Picks

Below, you'll find five of our expert futures picks for 2025/26. These have been selected from the biggest markets, while they take into account everything from the latest Heisman odds to estimated college football win totals.

Category Our Pick FanDuel Odds Reasoning Confidence
Heisman Trophy Arch Manning +700 Boasts a well-rounded game and will represent a dominant Longhorns' team High
College Win Totals Penn State to Win Over 10.5 Games -340 Have retained many of last season's starters and start the season with 4 consecutive home games High
Conference Winners Clemson Tigers +120 Returned star QB Marcel Reed along with 15 other starters and won the ACC in 2024 Medium
National Champion Texas Longhorns +550 Have reached successive CFP semis and won 25 of their last 30 competitive games Medium
Longshot Utah to win the Big 12 Conference +650 Boast a star-studded attack and will welcome back several players from injury this season Low
Futures Special Alabama, Ohio, Clemson, Notre Dame and Boise State to each reach the Playoffs +1700 Each side is ranked in the preseason top 25 and all but Alabama reached the playoffs last season Low

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Best Sites for College Football Futures

Whether you're searching for real-time Heisman trophy odds or want to wager at the latest conference championship odds, it's important to identify the best value sportsbooks. After all, odds can vary significantly between different sportsbooks, as can the range of futures markets available.

Sportsbook Comparison

Below, you'll find an at-a-glance summary of the top five sportsbooks for college futures betting. There's certainly an extensive selection of Fanduel college football futures, while DraftKings unlocks the most team and player prop markets.

Sportsbook Futures Range Odds Quality Cashout (Y/N) Best For
FanDuel Extensive Competitive ✅ Beginners Sign Up
BetMGM Extensive Market Leading Boosts ✅ Variety
DraftKings The Most Props Average ✅ (Partial) Props Betting
Caesars Good Competitive ✅ Rewards
BetRivers Limited Fair ✅ Fast Withdrawals