2025 sports championships bets and parlays

We’ve all seen the tickets. The bettor who places a small wager in January with a parlay filled with a number of cross-sport champions. As the year progresses and championships are lost, some of those tickets emerge on social media as a few lucky bettors gets closer to a big payout.

But let’s be clear: it’s highly unlikely that these bets hit, and that’s the general expectation with most parlays. They’re about dreaming big, making predictions, having the receipts to back them up and having the answer to the question that inevitably gets asked when the improbable happens… what were the odds?

So with the CFP semi-finals upon us and the NFL playoffs set to begin, we’ve got championship parlays on our mind. From the Super Bowl to the Stanley Cup to the Wanamaker trophy, every title for 2025 is up for grabs. We asked our betting team for their top picks for each sport and, just for fun, a parlay with as many champions as they’d like to create a wager to root for all year long. Here’s what they came up with.

All odds as of time of publication. Latest odds available on ESPN BET

College Football Playoff National Championship (Jan. 20)

Favorites: Ohio State (-145), Notre Dame (+450), Texas (+425), Penn State (+500)

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Pamela Maldonado’s CFP bet: Ohio State Buckeyes (-145)
The Buckeyes have been playing at an elite level. They’re dominating their playoff opponents with a potent offense, led by quarterback Will Howard and freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith, while their defense is the best in the country in limiting scores. It’s a lethal combo.

Maldonado’s 2025 parlay:

• College Football: Ohio State (-145)

• Tennis: Novak Djokovic to win Australian Open (+350)

• Golf: Will Zalatoris to win Masters (+3300)

Three-leg parlay odds: +25752
Payout: $10 bet wins $2,575.20

NFL: Super Bowl LIX (Feb. 9)

Favorites: Detroit Lions (+300), Kansas City Chiefs (+400), Baltimore Ravens (+550), Buffalo Bills (+550)

Ben Solak’s NFL championship bet: Minnesota Vikings (+1400)
The Vikings fell from +800 to +1400 to win the Super Bowl now that they must play three road games instead of two home games after their Week 18 loss to the Lions, but I’m still confident they’re one of the best three teams in the NFC playoff field. I like how they match up against the Eagles in a potential contest between the two, and if they draw the Lions a third time, I have to imagine they’ve learned plenty from those two losses. It’s a tough climb from the wild card round to the Super Bowl, but the Vikings are the first 14-win wild card we’ve ever seen. They could absolutely get it done.

Solak’s 2025 parlay:

• NFL: Minnesota Vikings (+1400)

• College Football: Notre Dame (+450)

• NBA: Cleveland Cavaliers (+900)

Three-leg parlay odds: +82400
Payout: $10 bet wins $8,240

Seth Walder’s NFL championship bet: Detroit Lions (+300)
If there’s a single lesson I’m taking away from 2024, it’s that coaching matters. A lot. And given how hot Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has been all year, I want to back the Lions offense in the postseason even with the team seriously banged up on the other side of the ball. And defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn had that unit finish strong against the Vikings, anyway.

Walder’s 2025 parlay:

• NFL: Detroit Lions (+300)

• PGA: Collin Morikawa to win U.S. Open (+1400)

• F1: Charles Leclerc to win Driver’s Championship (+450)

Three-leg parlay odds: +32900
Payout: $10 bet wins $3,290

Men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournament (April 6 and 7)

Men’s Favorites: Auburn (+575), Duke (+650), Houston (11-1), Florida (12-1)
Women’s Favorites: South Carolina (+325), Notre Dame (+425), UConn (+500), UCLA (+500), USC (+600)

Dalen Cuff’s NCAA championship bets: Florida Men (+1200) and Notre Dame Women (+425)
There are no great teams in Men’s college hoops this year, but a lot of really good ones that can win the title. Florida has three elite guards (Walter Clayton Jr, Alijah Martin and Will Richard) along with a mix of bigs that protect the rim, crush the offensive glass and can step outside and make threes. The Gators are great value for a team that I think will improve as they go through the gauntlet of the SEC schedule.

Notre Dame has two of the 10 best guards in the country in Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles, who continues to improve coming back from last year’s season-ending knee surgery. They’ve been tested in the non-conference, will likely get a No. 1 seed as ACC conference champs and have the pedigree to cut down the nets in Tampa.

Cuff’s 2025 parlay:

• NCAAM: Florida (+1200)

• NFL: Buffalo Bills (+550)

• NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder (+300)

• UCL: Arsenal (+600)

• EPL: Liverpool (-400)

• LaLiga: Real Madrid (-120)

Six-pick parlay odds: +542108
Payout: $10 bet wins $54,210.83

UEFA Champions League Final (May 31)

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Favorites: Liverpool (+400), Arsenal (+600), FC Barcelona, (+600), Real Madrid (+600), Bayern Munich (+700), Manchester City (+700)

Dan Thomas’ UEFA championship bet: Inter Milan (+1600)
It is without a doubt one of the hardest Champions Leagues to call. Liverpool and Real Madrid will of course be in the mix but if you want value, look no further than Inter, an experienced, talented side who are extremely difficult to beat.

Thomas’ 2025 parlay:

• UCL: Inter Milan (+1600)

• EPL: Liverpool (-450)

• LaLiga: Real Madrid (-120)

• Bundesliga: Bayern Munich (-700)

Four-bet parlay odds: +4352
Payout: $10 bet wins $445.24

NHL: Stanley Cup (June)

Favorites: Edmonton Oilers (+600), Carolina Hurricanes (+800), Florida Panthers (+800), Dallas Stars (10-1), New Jersey Devils (10-1), Toronto Maple Leafs (10-1)

Sean Allen’s Stanley Cup pick: Toronto Maple Leafs (10-1)
All you want in a Stanley Cup pick is a team destined for the postseason because once the puck drops in the playoffs, it’s anybody’s trophy to win. This year, the Leafs are a different team under head coach Craig Berube, emphasizing a defense-first approach. They’ve also already weathered significant time missed by Auston Matthews. For a fun parlay, let’s bet that the celebrations won’t stop in Toronto.

Allen’s 2025 parlay:

• NHL: Maple Leafs (+1000)

• 4 Nations Face-Off: Canada (+165)

• AHL: Toronto Marlies (+1000)

Three-bet parlay odds: +31965
Payout: $10 bet wins $3,196.50

Victoria Matiash’s Stanley Cup pick: Vegas Golden Knights (12-1)
Why not back the best team in the NHL (.716 winning percentage) to win it all next spring? Boasting a top-tier star in Jack Eichel, depth scoring, one of the league’s best defensive corps and a solid one-two punch between the pipes, Vegas should be considered the favorite to win its second Cup in three years. Even if the oddsmakers don’t peg it that way.

Matiash’s 2025 parlay:

• NHL: Vegas Golden Knights (+1200)

• EPL: Nottingham Forrest (+4000)

• NFL: Green Bay Packers (+2000)

Three-bet parlay odds: +1119200
Payout: $10 bet wins $111,930

The NBA Finals (June)

Favorites: Boston Celtics (+200), Oklahoma City Thunder (+300), Cleveland Cavaliers (+900), New York Knicks (+11-1)

Eric Moody’s NBA championship pick: Cavaliers (10-1)
The 29-4 Cavaliers are a legitimate title contender. Donovan Mitchell has the ability to take over any game, with solid role players around him and one of the most productive second units in the league. Having two bigs like Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen provides defensive dominance, strong rebounding, interior scoring and matchup flexibility, all of which are crucial in the postseason and sets up the Cavs to take a run at the Celtics.

Moody’s 2025 parlay:

• NBA: Cleveland Cavaliers (+900)

• NFL: Kansas City Chiefs (+350)

• WNBA: Indiana Fever (+1000)

Three-bet parlay odds: +49400
Payout: $10 bet to win $4,940

MLB World Series (October/November)

Favorites: Los Angeles Dodgers (+325), New York Mets (+800), New York Yankees (+800), Atlanta Braves (+900)

Eric Karabell’s World Series pick: Milwaukee Brewers (40-1)
Milwaukee won 93 games and an easy NL Central title in 2024. The odds may be depressed because of the Devin Williams trade, but they won that division largely without him. Christian Yelich and Brandon Woodruff return. Jackson Chourio stars. Jacob Misiorowski emerges. Great odds here. It’s time.

Karabell’s 2025 parlay:

• MLB: Milwaukee Brewers (+4000)

• Men’s college basketball: Marquette (+3300)

• NBA: Milwaukee Bucks (+2200)

• NFL: Green Bay Pack…. no

Three-bet parlay odds: +3866200
Payout: $10 bet wins $386,620

Tristan H. Cockcroft’s World Series pick: Texas Rangers (25-1)
Champions only two seasons ago, the Rangers’ 2024 was plagued by injuries, particularly on the pitching side. Still, the pieces for another title run are there, from MVP candidate Corey Seager to up-and-coming star Wyatt Langford to prospective staff ace Jacob deGrom, and the lineup remains strong. The team probably needs to bolster the pitching staff with some in-season trades, but they did that in 2023. For these odds, the Rangers look pretty enticing.

Cockcroft’s 2025 parlay:

• MLB: Texas Rangers (+2500)

• NFL: Buffalo Bills (+500)

• Wimbledon (Men) Jack Draper (+1400)

Three-pick parlay odds: +233,900
Payout: $10 bet wins $23,390

2025 Golf Majors

Tournaments: The Masters, (April 6-13), PGA Championship (May 11-18), US Open (June 7-15), The British Open (July 13-20)
Favorites (to win at least one Major): Scottie Scheffler (-130), Rory McIlroy (+175), Xander Schauffele (+175)

Anita Marks’ Major pick: Justin Thomas (+650)
The last two seasons have been a roller coaster ride for JT, but 2025 will be his year. His iron play is back, and so is his confidence.

Marks’ 2025 parlay:

• Golf: Justin Thomas to win a Major (+650)

• College Football: Texas Longhorns (+475)

• NFL: Philadelphia Eagles (+650)

• NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder (+300)

Four-bet parlay odds: +332244
Payout: $10 bet wins $3,234.38

Source: espn.com