Conference USA has been exciting over the past few years but has been typically run by one school for a few years at a time. Right now, that team is the Liberty Flames, who had a great 2023 en route to the Conference USA title. Here, we break down the Conference USA championship betting odds as bettors look to the futures markets in this hidden gem in college football.
Conference USA Odds
| Team | Conference USA Championship Odds |
| Liberty | -140 |
| Western Kentucky | +250 |
| Sam Houston State | +600 |
| Jacksonville State | +800 |
| Florida International | +5000 |
| Louisiana Tech | +6500 |
| Middle Tennessee | +7000 |
| UTEP | +12500 |
| New Mexico State | +15000 |
Conference USA Odds Preview
The favorites to win the Conference USA championship are the Liberty Flames by a convincing margin. They won their first 13 games last season, running through this conference and winning the league title game by two touchdowns over New Mexico State. Liberty is a heavy favorite to win this league in 2024 as well, as the Flames could be building a dynasty in CUSA.
There are only three other teams being given a shot at upending Liberty for the Conference USA championship. Those two teams are Western Kentucky, Sam Houston State, and Jacksonville State. Only four teams in this conference had winning records in conference play last season and the Hilltoppers and Gamecocks were in that group. But it is hard to see any of these three teams outperforming Liberty, while the rest of the conference has even less of a chance of doing so.
It was hard to get a good read on most of the teams in this conference during non-conference play. This is because most Conference USA teams take on some of the biggest schools in college football during their non-conference slates to get big checks from those elite programs. We will get a better picture of who these teams really are once conference play gets into full swing. But so far, things are going well for the Flames this season as they look to defend their conference title.
Conference USA Betting & Handicapping
Conference USA has been a pretty top-heavy league for the last several years. But there is a lot of fresh blood in the league as well, as teams like Jacksonville State and Sam Houston State have recently joined from FCS. As those teams get more comfortable at the FBS level, we could see them rise up the ranks in this league and put themselves into a position to win the conference in the near future.
Keep in mind that this is not a neutral-site championship game. It is on the campus of the team with the better record or more of the tiebreakers if necessary, so there will be a home-field advantage element to deciding a winner. That means that you want to compare schedules and see where a team’s toughest games are in hopes of picking the team that will be at home in the title game.
Conference USA Football Championship History
| Year | Conference USA Champion |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Liberty |
| 2022 | UTSA |
| 2021 | UTSA |
| 2020 | UAB |
| 2019 | Florida Atlantic |
| 2018 | UAB |
| 2017 | Florida Atlantic |
| 2016 | Western Kentucky |
| 2015 | Western Kentucky |
| 2014 | Marshall |
| 2013 | Rice |
| 2012 | Tulsa |
Conference USA Football Championship Wins
| All Time Wins | Conference USA Team | Last Yr Won |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Southern Miss | 2011 |
| 3 | Louisville | 2004 |
| 2 | UAB | 2020 |
| 2 | Western Kentucky | 2016 |
| 2 | Tulsa | 2012 |
| 2 | UCF | 2010 |
| 2 | East Carolina | 2009 |
| 2 | Houston | 2006 |
| 2 | UTSA | 2022 |
| 1 | Liberty | 2023 |
| 1 | Florida Atlantic | 2019 |
| 1 | Marshall | 2014 |
| 1 | Rice | 2013 |
| 1 | TCU | 2002 |
| 1 | Cincinnati | 2002 |
| 1 | Tulane | 1998 |
