College Football 2025: 4 Fun Futures Bets

(Editor’s note: This article is from The Spun by Athlon Sports’ 2025 Football Betting Guide — the perfect preseason reference companion for new bettors or sharps alike. Order your copy today online, or pick one up at retail racks and newsstands nationwide.)

A bettor’s primary job is to do whatever it takes to find an edge. The endless hunt for value is a grind, requiring consistent discipline that can sometimes suck the fun out of sports.

And while serious bettors interested in long-term success should leave emotion on the sidelines as much as possible, it is OK to occasionally let your hair down and responsibly place a fun bet that keeps you invested for the entire season.

With that concept in mind, I’ve highlighted five college football futures bets that should provide heaps of fun to sweat in 2025.

Blake Horvath to win Heisman Trophy

(500/1, BetMGM)

Navy put together a stunning 10-win season in 2024 and was in the College Football Playoff conversation until a blowout loss to Notre Dame right before Halloween. Quarterback Blake Horvath was the catalyst behind the Midshipmen’s resurgence, recording 30 total touchdowns (13 passing, 17 rushing).

Horvath once again will headline Navy’s triple-offense attack in 2025, giving the junior every opportunity to post big totals again. With plenty of returning production on offense, Navy is expected to be a serious player in the Group of 5 conversation this season. If that indeed materializes, Horvath could be on the fringes of the Heisman radar — at which point this 500/1 price will be long gone.

Tulsa to win AAC

(200/1, DraftKings)

Sometimes a coaching change can completely alter a program’s trajectory, and that’s what we’re betting on happening here. Tulsa made a splash in the offseason by hiring 35-year-old Tre Lamb from East Tennessee State, banking on Lamb’s offensive chops to reinvigorate a team that has been listless for the better part of a decade.

If Lamb can have some early success with his innovative system, the Golden Hurricane could be a surprise runner in the AAC and catch the market by storm. Is it a lot to ask? Yes — but that’s why the odds are so long.

North Carolina Under 7.5 wins

(-176, FanDuel)

Perhaps no team will be harder to handicap in the early stages of 2025 than Bill Belichick’s UNC Tar Heels. There will be massive distractions around the program with Belichick and his, uh, entourage in Chapel Hill, and there is every chance this experiment goes sideways in a hurry. A relatively soft schedule will help the Tar Heels, but this will be a fun team for bettors to fade all season. Don’t be afraid to play the Under on some alternate UNC win totals when those get posted later in the summer.

LaNorris Sellers to go No. 1 overall in 2026 NFL Draft

(22/1, bet365)

Texas QB Arch Manning is the clear favorite to be the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but don’t be surprised if South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, fifth on the betting board to go No. 1,  joins the debate. Manning undoubtedly will be the biggest name in college football this season, but Sellers has the toolkit to surge past Manning in the eyes of pro scouts. Honestly, Sellers might be the most entertaining player in the country this season, so I’d look to invest in the dual-threat quarterback in some fashion. This seems like the most fun way to jump on the bandwagon.