Oregon won the Big Ten Championship in its first season in the conference. But will the Ducks repeat? Ahead of the 2025 college football season, BetMGM has revealed the odds for all 18 teams to win the conference title this season. The oddsmakers see four teams standing out apart from the rest following the release […]
Oregon won the Big Ten Championship in its first season in the conference. But will the Ducks repeat?
Ahead of the 2025 college football season, BetMGM has revealed the odds for all 18 teams to win the conference title this season. The oddsmakers see four teams standing out apart from the rest following the release of the 2025 Preseason Coaches Poll.
Whether a dark horse team rises the Big Ten’s ranks like Indiana in 2024, or a conference stalwart reclaims the league title — the Big Ten Conference’s ranks will offer no shortage of excitement this fall. With the preseason coming to a close, here’s how BetMGM’s list shakes up.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes, +190
Ohio State wasn’t a part of the Big Ten Championship last season after its loss to Michigan in the regular season finale. The Buckeyes would go on to enter the College Football Playoff as a first-round host, eventually going the whole way and winning the program’s first national title under Ryan Day.
While the Buckeyes’ sights are set on winning another national championship, they’re the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten title for the 40th time in program history. It’s not the first time they’ve topped a preseason list like this, either.
2. Penn State Nittany Lions, +240
Penn State fell short against Oregon during the 2024 Big Ten Championship game. The Ducks won a high-scoring 45-37 affair that saw the Nittany Lions score 13 points in the fourth quarter before ultimately coming up short.
What the Nittany Lions have that the other top teams on this list don’t, however, is a returning starting quarterback. Drew Allar returns for another season after he could have turned pro. Instead, he’s back in Happy Valley to win championships in 2025.
3. Oregon Ducks, +350
Oregon is undefeated against Big Ten competition heading into its second season in the conference, going a perfect 9-0 during conference play. The Ducks went on to defeat Penn State to claim its first Big Ten Championship.
It was quite literally a perfect start to Oregon’s experience in the conference. However, oddsmakers appear to favor the likes of Ohio State and Penn State over the Ducks this preseason despite Oregon defeating both in 2024.
4. Michigan Wolverines, +700
It’s hard to count the Wolverines out, as they’re still just two seasons removed from their national championship run. Before 2024, Michigan had won the last three Big Ten Championships under former head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Michigan is expected to be improved in 2025, and the oddsmakers feel like the Wolverines can hang with the likes of Ohio State, Penn State and Oregon. Only time will tell.
5. USC Trojans, +1800
USC joined the Big Ten alongside Oregon in 2024, but the Trojans weren’t able to experience the same success the Ducks had in their first season in the conference. The Trojans finished 4-5 against its new conference’s competition with a 7-6 record overall.
The Trojans will have more consistency under center in 2025 with Jayden Maiava being the starter from day one this fall. USC also avoids both Penn State and Ohio State during the regular season, which helps their case of a Big Ten title berth.
6. Indiana Hoosiers, +3500
Indiana’s meteoric rise to the College Football Playoff was one of the biggest surprises of the 2024 season. It was Curt Cignetti’s first season leading the Hoosiers, and while they missed out of the Big Ten Championship game last year, a similar season could be enough to get them there this fall.
The Hoosiers have a new face under center in Fernando Mendoza, who transferred in from Cal to replace Kurtis Rourke. Mendoza faced an uphill battle in his first year in Bloomington, as Indiana travels to both Oregon and Penn State during the regular season.
7. Nebraska Cornhuskers, +3500
Year three for Matt Rhule’s programs are historically successful. Heading into 2025, Nebraska has been on an upward trajectory since he arrived during the 2023 offseason.
Dylan Raiola will be more experienced in year two as the starter, and Rhule has gone out and added a few weapons for him out of the NCAA transfer portal. Running back Emmett Johnson could also have a breakout season in his third year with the program.
8. Iowa Hawkeyes, +4000
Iowa has won at least eight games in each of the last four seasons. During that time, they’ve been to the Citrus Bowl and Music City Bowl twice. The Hawkeyes also have had a winning record against Big Ten competition every year since 2018.
The Hawkeyes host some of their toughest matchups this season, including Indiana, Penn State and Oregon. This could bode well in Iowa’s bid for a potential Big Ten title appearance this fall.
9. Illinois Fighting Illini, +4000
Illinois won 10 games last season for the first time since 2001. However, all three of their losses came against the Big Ten.
Luke Altmyer is back is back for his third season as the starter. He could be one of the better quarterbacks in the Big Ten during his final season of eligibility.
10. Washington Huskies, +5000
Washington was forced to undergo an unforeseen coaching change ahead of its first season in the Big Ten. Ultimately hiring Jedd Fisch from Arizona, the Huskies finished 6-7 with a 4-5 record against its conference opponents in 2024.
Now in year two, the Huskies are looking to establish themselves as a team who can beat anyone in the conference. They’ll have several opportunities to do that with games against Ohio State, Michigan and Oregon this fall.
11. Minnesota Golden Gophers, +12500
12. Wisconsin Badgers, +15000
13. Michigan State Spartans, +15000
14. UCLA Bruins, +15000
15. Rutgers Scarlet Knights, +25000
16. Maryland Terrapins, +30000
17. Northwestern Wildcats, +50000
18. Purdue Boilermakers, +50000
Category: General Sports
