2026 college football betting preview: 12 of our favorite win total bets this season
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You can get a good idea of the perceived strength of a team heading into a season based on its win total at your favorite sportsbook.
Ahead of the 2026 college football season, here are 12 of our favorite bets to make before Week Zero begins later this month. Remember, for these bets to hit, the team has to hit the over (or under) in the regular season. Conference championship and postseason games do not count.
Boise State over 7.5 wins (-175)
The Broncos open with Oregon in Week 1, but have a very manageable schedule the rest of the way. Boise State is our early favorite to earn the non-power conference bid to the College Football Playoff, and the Broncos will need at least 10 wins to have any real hope of making their second CFP in three seasons.
BYU over 8.5 wins (-155)
An October home game against Notre Dame is factored into this total along with a road trip to Utah. But BYU doesn't play Houston or Texas Tech during the regular season and should be well-positioned to challenge for the Big 12 title again.
Clemson over 7.5 wins (-145)
The Tigers aren't immediately going to be national championship contenders. And the season could likely begin with a loss at LSU. But there should be enough improvement for Clemson to get back to eight or nine wins.
Houston over 8.5 wins (+120)
The Cougars have to go to both Texas Tech and Utah, but otherwise draw a very good Big 12 schedule and should easily go 3-0 in non-conference play. Willie Fritz's team brings back QB Conner Weigman and added a lot in the transfer portal after a 10-3 season in 2025.
Kentucky under 4.5 wins (+120)
New Kentucky coach Will Stein is very confident about his team's chances of being a winner. But that winning may take at least a season or two. The Wildcats draw four SEC teams with legitimate preseason playoff hopes in action to Tennessee, Florida and Missouri in November before a season-ending game against Louisville.
Louisville over 8.5 wins (+120)
The Cardinals open the season against Ole Miss and play SMU in Week 3. After that, the toughest games remaining are either a trip to Georgia Tech or a home game against Pitt in November. Don't be surprised if Louisville in contention for the ACC title game.
Navy over 7.5 wins (-200)
The Midshipmen are in the same tier as Boise State among group of six teams this season. The odds aren't great for an 8-4 season or better, but the presence of Notre Dame on the schedule shouldn't be a deterrent to a nine or 10-win season.
North Carolina under 4.5 wins (+105)
It's hard to see how a bowl is going to happen in Bill Belichick's second season without massive improvement. UNC plays Notre Dame, Clemson, Miami and Louisville along with Duke and Pitt. Oh, and the Tar Heels open the season against TCU in Dublin.
Northern Illinois under 3.5 wins (-125)
The Huskies finished 3-9 as a member of the MAC in 2025. We're not convinced they're topping that number in the Mountain West in 2026. Especially with non-conference games at Iowa and Arizona.
Oklahoma over 7.5 wins (-155)
We think the Sooners are going to be in contention for the College Football Playoff again, so this is an easy bet. Especially if John Mateer is healthy for the entire season.
South Florida under 8.5 wins (-140)
New coach Brian Hartline should get the Bulls to a bowl game in 2026, but they have all the top teams from the American on their 2026 schedule and are having to rebuild the offense basically from scratch.
Texas A&M over 8.5 wins (+100)
The Aggies have odds of +125 to make the College Football Playoff. Why not take odds just slightly shorter than that for them to finish 9-3 or better during the regular season? They'll need to have that record at the very least to be in playoff contention.
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