LSU Cashed as a 70/1 Preseason Longshot; Could Any Team Do the Same in 2021?

• The LSU Tigers won the National Championship after being listed at +7000 prior to the season
• Odds have been released for who will capture the championship in 2021, and one intriguing longshot stands out
• Miami has a new offensive coordinator, new offense, and could land QB D’Eriq King in the transfer portal

Joe Burrow and LSU capped their incredible season with a dominant 42-25 win over Clemson in the National Championship game.

Congratulations to anyone who bet the Tigers to win the championship at +7000 prior to the season. While LSU is a banner program, it went to show the champion isn’t always one of the pre-season favorites. With that in mind, there’s one team in particular that could be worth a wager to win the trophy in 2021.

2021 National Championship Odds

Odds taken Jan. 15th.

The CFP odds are worth monitoring. Sportsbooks are making one thing abundantly clear with its odds – they aren’t willing to provide any value on the favorites at this time. Joe Burrow is headed to the NFL and, yet, LSU is listed at even odds to repeat. Three others are listed at +220 or better and, while they are all expected to be great teams next season, the value just isn’t there.

That makes digging deep for an LSU-like underdog even more intriguing. One option worth a long look is the Miami Hurricanes. Yes, they were shut out in the Independence Bowl by Louisiana Tech but there is a path to success for them and, if you buy in early and get lucky, the payout would be enormous.

Transfer QB Could Make All the Difference

Three of the four teams in the College Football Playoff, including the eventual champion, were led by transfer quarterbacks this season. LSU obviously had the Heisman Trophy-winner Burrow, Ohio State had Justin Fields who transferred from Georgia, and Oklahoma had former Alabama QB Jalen Hurts. This year’s best target is Houston QB D’Eriq King, who is rumored to be considering a move to Miami.

QB D'Eriq King announces he's transferring from Houston pic.twitter.com/5OBwlLAwWA

— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) January 14, 2020

King had 50 total touchdowns in the 2018 season – 36 passing and 14 rushing – and would give the Hurricanes a dynamic threat to help them compete with Clemson in the ACC. They tried this same move with former Buckeye Tate Martell, but this pick up which have a much higher likelihood of success thanks to King’s track record.

Coaching Change Will Also Help Miami

Head coach Manny Diaz is back, but he made a key decision firing play-caller Dan Enos. He’s been replaced by new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, who brings with him a spread offense from SMU.

Miami ranked 90th last season scoring only 25.7 points per game. Lashlee’s Mustangs scored 41.8 per game, which ranked 7th behind only LSU, Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, UCF, and Oklahoma.

Give me D’Eriq King in Rhett Lashlee’s offense please pic.twitter.com/L1NY6pqBm1

— Marsh Cristobal🤟🏽 (@hurricanesmarsh) January 15, 2020

Stop me if you’ve heard this formula before – a transfer QB leading a once-storied program implementing a new offense to a national title. Sound familiar? If the Hurricanes can land King and pair him with Lashlee, things could turn in a hurry for a program that struggled to a six-win season in 2019.

Low Risk, High Reward

Miami’s +10000 odds will disappear quickly if King picks the Hurricanes. The ACC is weak and Miami plays in the Coastal Division, which doesn’t include Clemson. They wouldn’t play the Tigers until a possible meeting in the ACC championship game. With a weak schedule and a solid game plan, I think rolling the dice on a come back for a once dominant program is worth a shot.

PICK: Miami Hurricanes (+10000)