Eight Bold NCAA Football Predictions for the 2018-19 Season

Written by on June 8, 2018

Will the NCAA Football Betting favorites Alabama Crimson Tide live up to their status as prohibitive favorites to win the 2019 national championship? Will Nick Saban’s perennially-powerful squad succumb to an elite conference rival like Georgia or Alabama? Can the Clemson Tigers reach the national championship after coming up short in their first season without former superstar signal-caller Deshaun Watson under center? Are the Washington Huskies or Wisconsin Badgers legitimate national championship title contenders or overrated teams that have more wishful thinking than actual championship hopes? With the start of the 2018 NCAA college football season getting closer by the day now is a perfect time for some fun-filled, yet expert, bold college football betting predictions for the upcoming campaign.

Eight Bold NCAA Football Betting Predictions for the 2018-19 Season

Alabama

The Crimson Tide won their fifth national championship under Nick Saban last season and second in the last three years and Alabama will be powerful once again this coming season as they usher in a new class of superstar recruits, mostly on the defensive side of the ball. Saban has a difficult decision to make at quarterback where incumbent starter Jalen Hurts could be surpassed by national championship hero Tua Tagavailoa. No matter who’s on the field, I think Bama is a safe NCAA Football Betting pick to find a way into the four-team playoff.

Georgia

The Bulldogs will be looking to build on their impressive 13-2 mark last season and I believe they will despite suffering key losses at every level of the defense, including standout linebacker Roquan Smith. However, head coach Kirby Smart has clearly used Nick Saban’s methodology to build his program at Georgia and now the Dawgs look like they could be a perennial title contender. I’m predicting Georgia wins the SEC West, but falls just short of reaching the four-team CFP.

Auburn

The Tigers went 10-4 last season but had a really good feather in their cap by beating both of the participants in last season’s national championship. Quarterback Jarrett Stidham came up just short of breaking Auburn’s single-season record for passing yards and should be better in his second season. The loss of starting running back and SEC Player of the Year Kerryon Johnson will hurt and their difficult schedule, which starts off with a huge Week 1 showdown against Washington is what will keep Auburn from reaching the four-team playoff.

Clemson

Clemson went 12-2 last year with new starting quarterback Kelly Bryant taking over for Deshaun Watson, but the Tigers came up just short of their national championship hopes by losing in the CFP semifinals. The Tigers have a handful of elite defensive linemen that all have the look of first-round NFL draft picks, but their national championship hopes will live and die on whether or not Bryant can throw the ball more effectively than he did last season. Still, I’m predicting another berth in the four-team College Football Playoff.

Washington

With Heisman Trophy contender quarterback Jake Browning and running back Myles Gaskin both returning and the Huskies featuring a defense that could be their best ever under widely respected head coach Chris Petersen, I’m predicting that Washington not only reaches the four-team CFP but the national championship game at the very least!

Wisconsin

The Badgers went 13-1 last season but just missed out on nabbing a berth in the CFP because they didn’t play the strongest schedule around. The Badgers look like a safe NCAA Football Betting pick for the upcoming season. Now, heading into 2018, I like Wisconsin to beat out Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State for the conference crown and a berth in the CFP, thanks to super gifted running back Jonathan Taylor, what should be some improved play out of quarterback Alex Hornibrook and another year of straight, lockdown defense from a program that has been one of the very best in the nation under head coach Paul Chryst.

Oklahoma

No Baker Mayfield means no Big 12 title for Oklahoma in 2018. That’s about as simple as a prediction can get college football betting buffs! Seriously, I love head coach Lincoln Riley and I believe the Sooners could be right back in the national champions mix in 2019, but first, they’re going to have to go through the growing pains of having a first-time starter under center in 2018.

TCU

Well, speaking of Big 12 teams, I’m predicting that TCU wins the conference crown and challenges for a berth in the CFP before coming up just short. The Horned Frogs will be elite defensively after ranking inside the Top 20 in every significant category last season including 16th in points allowed (19.0 ppg). However, it is the addition of young quarterback Shawn Robinson that I believe could propel TCU to greater heights than a year ago when they went 11-3. Robinson is TCU’s first four-star signee at quarterback and he’s super gifted as he looked like a man amongst boys in his senior year in high school, a solid reason to consider them a solid NCAA Football Betting pick.