With National Signing Day and Spring Games officially in the books, college football enters the dog days of summer until fall camps begin in August.

However, from a wagering perspective, this is the time of year that Las Vegas offers yet another sector of moneymaking. 

Future bets. More specifically, 2015 National Championship future bets.

Not for the faint-hearted, these betting tickets require insurmountable patience for sports bettors as they scan the electronic boards plastered high above Vegas sportsbooks, searching for solid value of which club will saunter beneath the confetti in January. 

Remarkable seasons go for naught here. It’s win, or set your betting slip ablaze.

However, these aren’t the prototypical high-rollers decked in sport jackets and Rolex jewelry. ESPN journalist David Payne Purdum, a specialist on the subject, touches on the activity that’s causing mayhem in the ‘books.

“Overall, these numbers are fun to look at, but really don’t mean too much at this point of the season,” states the statistics aficionado. 

“The majority of offseason college football futures bets come from tourists who want to bet their favorite team or alma mater before heading out of town. You’re talking lots of $10 and $20 bets.”

 

National Championship Favorites

So while Las Vegas releases the respected odds for the 2016 National Champion, Purdum offers the top teams that are receiving a majority of the action.

1. Ohio State
2. Auburn
3. Alabama
4. Michigan 
5. Notre Dame

The money pouring in like fresh cement on the reigning champs shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. A mastermind head coach in Urban Meyer devising systematic blueprints each week accompanied by a deluge of talent and athleticism, Purdum didn’t seem taken aback.

“More money has been bet on the Buckeyes than any other team. Not surprising with the talent they bring back from last year’s team that peaked at the right time.”

The residue following the Buckeyes however crop up with a steady mix of regulars and dark horses.

Alabama consistently finds itself within the mix of the public consensus, while another SEC squad in Auburn breezes in at #2. Gus Malzahn presumably embracing one of the top offenses in the country for ’15.

Bettors will hope to pocket some luck of their own, as money begins to trickle in on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, a program that inherits the heart of supple regions throughout. 

Fans must strongly perceive quarterback Malik Zaire as the real deal, the sophomore cemented the starting job once Everett Golson announced his ultimatum to transfer to Florida State. 

“Everett Golson’s decision is a storyline to follow,” claims Purdum.

“The Westgate SuperBook slashed Florida State’s title odds from 30-1 to 15-1 over the last couple of weeks in anticipation of Golson landing with the Seminoles.”

Creeping in at #5 come the Michigan Wolverines …. seriously? The battered troops that will bank on Jim Harbaugh to spark the dynamite in Ann Arbor. And at 60/1 odds, the slightest postulation of a Maize and Blue miracle could be worth a meager handful of dollars.

A majority of the spectators are just chuckling it off.

“Most people laughed at Michigan being No. 5, but that’s not surprising either with the amount of hype that comes along with Jim Harbaugh,” added Purdum. 

The Correlation Between Win Totals and Futures

It should come to no surprise that Ohio State is being salivated over by the average bettor. Once you earn a National Championship and crowd the gridiron with familiar faces the following season, you’re bound for praise and recognition in terms of betting slips. 

A team with a projected win total of 11, Las Vegas sets up the Buckeyes as potential finishers of an unblemished record once 2015 kicks off.

As for Alabama, whether the total’s highlighted at 4.5 or 10.5, they’re appropriately a bread-and-butter type of program to possess action, but more recreational bettors wagered early money on its neighbors, the Auburn Tigers (8.5 wins).

The SEC stands jam-packed with teams (Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Ole Miss, Arkansas, LSU) pocketing 8 or more potential victories according to 5Dimes. 

Possibly a mixture of both hype and public infatuation, Notre Dame creeped into the herd at No. 4, the Irish win total set at 9 wins. While it opened up at 9 and added value to the over at +110, the juice has climbed to -150 currently.

For starters, I don’t have any sort of affection for the Irish as I can certainly turn my cheek on their schedule, a docket including home dates with USC, Georgia Tech and Texas, while traveling to Stanford, Pitt, Clemson and Virginia.

For a club possibly desiring 10 wins, I’m not a fan of Notre Dame receiving early money for a title, nor am I head over heels in regards to its win total to surpass 9. 

And that goes for the Michigan Wolverines as well, as they’re a tad farther down the list of calculated wins at 7.5.

I understand the motive here with Jim Harbaugh, but the offense still requires some remodeling, and I’m not so sure that the Maize and Blue will absorb 2015 as contenders. 

Harbaugh adds a spark in regards to a recruiting trail for future success, but I’d vie for Michigan State or even Penn State (if you’re looking for a plethora of value) when it comes down to the Big 10 and a National Champion.

 

Some powerhouses, some sleepers.

Ohio State, Alabama and Auburn are titled favorites, while some are heading in the right direction with Notre Dame and Michigan when it comes to a hefty return on investment, but if we’re using Vegas’s win totals as a subtle hint to what we can (possibly) expect for 2015, here’s a few dark horses:

UCLA (9 Wins, +3200)

The PAC 12 remains quite jumbled at the moment with a slew of teams capable of winning the conference.

USC is the early favorite in terms of winning the National Championship, however, three teams (Stanford, UCLA and Oregon) all have larger win totals based on the sportsbooks.

One team sticking out like a sore thumb is the UCLA Bruins, and their total has dropped from 9.5 to 9 (over +150) since the opener.

While it’s not easy to back an unfamiliar face under center, freshman Josh Rosen should be the guy for the Bruins in 2015, but that shouldn’t halt motivation to consider UCLA.

Johhny Manziel and Jameis Winston both shined as freshman (albeit both were redshirts) and earned themselves Heisman trophies while Winston went on to secure a title as a newcomer in 2013.

Whether it’s foreshadowing or maybe just a premature hint by Las Vegas, UCLA catches my eye at +3200.

Arkansas (8 wins, +4,700)

Quite a reach here with the Razorbacks, but value-a-plenty nonetheless. 

I mentioned in my SEC West win total column of how Arkansas’ record was potentially skewed on paper as they suffered a majority of their losses by marginal amounts and held leads over its opposition for much of its contests.

With a pair of 1,000-yard running backs and a burly offensive line, Arkansas nabs my vote as the SEC unsung.

North Carolina State (7, +32,000)

If Auburn reached the title game in 2013 at 50/1, then I shouldn’t be degraded too much for this shot in the dark with the Wolfpack, given anything can happen in college football.

I’m not exactly sold on the ACC for what it’s worth. Florida State and Golson, Georgia Tech, Clemson–I like that trio. But Louisville was exposed versus moderate offenses last season, North Carolina appears in shambles, and teams like Miami and Duke hold some question marks for 2015. 

Jacoby Brissett is an absolute playmaker at quarterback for NC State and should dazzle once more with five returning wide receivers to complement his dual-threat ability.

At +32,000, North Carolina State is my favorite ‘longshot’ for 2015.

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For more college football discussion and information, you can follow Alex on Twitter @AlexK_47.

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