The Big 12 is about as unpredictable as any conference in college football. Over the last six years, there have been six different champions. No other conference in the country has had more parity than the Big 12.
Last season, Texas Tech dominated by finishing the regular season 11-1 and beating BYU for the second time in the conference championship game. Forget about luck; the Red Raiders were by far the most talented team on paper and dominated conference play with arguably the best defense in the country.
However, don’t expect a ton of parity at the top because, much like in 2025, the Red Raiders are once again the heavy favorites to win the Big 12. Today, I wanted to show the Big 12 championship odds thanks to FanDuel and see where the best values are if you want to throw down some cash.
- Texas Tech -105
- BYU +550
- Utah +850
- Houston +1500
- Kansas State +1600
- TCU +1700
- Arizona State +2200
- Arizona +2200
- Oklahoma State +2700
- Baylor +4000
- West Virginia +4500
- UCF +4500
- Kansas +4500
- Cincinnati +8000
- Colorado +10000
- Iowa State +10000
To find some ways to make some money, we obviously can’t pick Texas Tech, but here are a few teams you may want to place bets on to win the Big 12.
BYU (+550)
You can make a case that BYU isn’t that far off from Texas Tech on paper. With quarterback Bear Bachmeier returning and star running back LJ Martin coming back, that is one hell of a one-two punch on offense.
Bear had over 3,000 passing yards and 15 touchdown passes, and over 500 on the ground with 11 scores in his freshman season. Meanwhile, LJ Martin ran for 1,300 yards with 12 scores. Even though they have some question marks at receiver, they have some capable tight ends and a great offensive line.
The Cougars also have plenty of veterans returning defensively. With experience on both sides of the ball, it’s easy to see why BYU is a popular pick to make it back to Jerry World once again.
Utah (+850)
If BYU is 1, then Utah can be 1A in my book because they aren’t too far behind the Cougars. Sure, they have a new head coach, but the transition shouldn’t be too bad since Moran Scalley was already on staff before being promoted.
Devon Dampier returns at quarterback after a great season, finishing with 24 touchdown passes, 5 picks, and a 63.5% completion percentage. He also rushed for 835 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2025 as well. Plus, bringing back running back Wayshawn Parker was huge.
The offensive line will be a bit of a question mark along with receiver, but Utah always finds a way to replace their big boys up front. If they can find some reliable pass catchers, they will be just fine, and they have the defense to keep them in just about any game. And out of all the schedules in the Big 12, it’s hard to argue that the Utes didn’t get a favorable one with nearly every big game at home.
Houston (+1500)
There may be no better value than the Houston Cougars when it comes to legitimate Big 12 title contenders. Will Fritz took his team from four wins to ten wins in year two and looks to take an even bigger step in 2026.
Connor Weigman returns as arguably the most underrated quarterback in the conference after throwing for over 2,700 yards last season and rushing for 700 more. And with the additions they made, including receiver Amare Thomas, they have the weapons to make more explosive plays this season.
As for their defense, they return six key starters and were able to add some great pieces as well. Don’t be shocked to see them be even better than what they were a year ago. The schedule is tough, but if they can get through the early stretch, watch out and never sleep on a Willie Fritz-coached team.
Oklahoma State (+2700)
If you are looking to take a flyer on a team outside of the ones I just mentioned, I believe Oklahoma State is worth your hard-earned dollars. The Cowboys are doing a massive overhaul under first-year head coach Eric Morris as he brought a ton of players from his previous stop (North Texas) with him, including star quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who put up video-game-like numbers in Denton.
I don’t see their offense having a ton of problems scoring points; however, their defense will be a big question mark. Outscoring opponents every week isn’t ideal in today’s college football or even in the Big 12, for that matter, because this isn’t 2015 anymore.
If the Cowboys can be respectable on defense, then they could be in line to surprise many people. But that is one big if. Then again, at +2700, you could hit the lotto if Oklahoma State somehow brings home a title.
