Sportsbooks are receiving heavy interest -- and massive bets -- on the Clemson Tigers to win the 2025 college football national championship.
The fourth-ranked Tigers open their season at home against No. 9 LSU on Sunday evening in a nationally televised matchup.
Key Takeaways
- Clemson is between +900 and +1300 to win the national championship at major sportsbooks.
- One bettor wagered $100,000 on the Tigers to win the CFP.
- Tankathon estimated that Clemson has five projected first-round picks on their roster.
Clemson won national championships in 1981, 2016 and 2018. The Tigers qualified for the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff last year despite only going 9-3 during the regular season, thanks to a triumph over SMU in the ACC Championship Game. They fell to No. 5 Texas in the first round of the CFP, 38-24.
Despite powerhouses in the Big Ten and SEC leading the list of national champion favorites, public bettors believe that this is the Tigers’ year.
BetMGM’s John Ewing reported in July that the sportsbook accepted a $115,000 wager at +1300 odds for Clemson to win the national championship. That bet would pay $1.6 million if it hits.
A bettor at @BetMGM wagered $115,000 on @ClemsonFB +1300 to win the College Football Playoff.
— John Ewing (@johnewing) July 1, 2025
Bet would win $1,495,000 💵
Clemson is now +900 to win playoff. 📈 pic.twitter.com/Y7TTN47E22
Caesars Sportsbook also shared last week that it had taken a $10,000 bet on Clemson to win the final game of the college football season at +900 odds. That bet would return a total of $100,000 if coach Dabo Swinney can earn his third title.
A bettor in Nevada wagered $10K on Clemson (+900) to win the National Championship 🐅
— Caesars Sportsbook (@CaesarsSports) August 20, 2025
Potential Payout: $100,000 pic.twitter.com/klgT4A65Qy
Clemson national championship odds
None of the major sportsbooks have Clemson favored to win the title. Instead, they all have the reigning ACC champions in and around the second tier of contenders.
- DraftKings: +900
- BetMGM: +900
- Caesars: +900
- Hard Rock Bet: +900
- ESPN Bet: +900
- Fanatics: +1,000
- bet365: +1,000
- FanDuel: +1,300
FanDuel is the only sportsbook to list Clemson longer than +1,000. Its +1,300 odds carry a 7.1 percent implied probability, whereas +900 odds (represented by five of the top sportsbooks) imply a 10 percent probability.
ESPN Bet data shared with Covers on Aug. 14 showed that Clemson to win the ACC was the second-most bet college football future, trailing only Texas to win the national championship. The Tigers had also received 7.3 percent (tied-fourth) of tickets and seven percent (sixth) of the handle for national championship bets.
As of last week, FanDuel reported that Clemson had the second-highest share of tickets and third-largest share of the handle for national championship futures wagers.
bet365 reported that Clemson drew about six percent of tickets, the sixth-highest share. Texas, Ohio State, Penn State, Georgia and Alabama were more popular.
The team that received the most support across all of the sportsbooks was Texas, which is also the national championship favorite at most sportsbooks.
The Clemson hype is growing
All but two national champions since 2014 have come from either the Big Ten or SEC. The only exceptions to that were Clemson in 2016 and 2018.
The Tigers’ hype isn’t without merit. Tankathon, a website that specializes in draft orders and projections, estimates that Clemson has five top-20 picks on its roster: EDGE T.J. Parker, defensive tackle Peter Woods, quarterback Cade Klubnik, cornerback Avieon Terrell, and wide receiver Antonio Williams. They also estimate that Parker and Woods will be selected within the first six picks.
No other school has an estimated four first-round picks in wait. Oregon and Penn State both have three projected first-rounders.
