Liberty Flames 2023 Future Odds
Liberty Continuing Rapid Climb With Transition to Conference USA
The Liberty Flames‘ rapid transition to FBS competition hits another milestone this season with a jump to Conference USA. The Flames did relatively well as an independent over the last five seasons, going 3-1 in bowl games and cracking the Top 25 of the Associated Press poll. But with conference affiliation comes more money, stability, and notoriety.
What’s in store for Liberty in 2023? Read on as we break down the Liberty Flames future odds in our team preview.
Liberty Flames At A Glance
| Odds to Win | Opening Odds | Current Odds |
| National Championship | +50000 | +50000 |
| Conference | +270 | +250 |
| Regular Season Win Total | 9.0 (o-120, u-110) | 9.0 (o-110, u-120) |
| To Make Playoffs (if applicable) | N/A | N/A |
New Coach, New Conference for FBS Upstart
After five seasons as an independent following their transition from FCS competition, the Liberty Flames are joining the newly configured Conference USA. And that’s not the only change happening around the program.
Jamey Chadwell is taking over as head coach, replacing Hugh Freeze. Chadwell arrives from Coastal Carolina, where he went 31-6 over the last three seasons and 39-22 overall. He obviously has big shoes to fill following the departure of Freeze, who took the Flames to four consecutive bowl games before returning to the SEC to coach Auburn.
The Flames started last season 8-1 before fizzling down the stretch. After rising up the college football standings, they lost their final four games, including 21-19 to Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl. Freeze didn’t help matters, sidestepping questions about his future. Nevertheless, the end of the season was bittersweet for the Flames.
Liberty hasn’t been a full-time FBS program for long. But the transition has been relatively smooth to this point. The Flames have won at least eight games each of the last four seasons, cracking the AP Top 25 poll in the process. As such, expectations are high in 2023.
National Championship Odds: No Chance
We’ll be blunt. There’s no chance of Liberty winning the national championship. Not this season. Not next season. And certainly not so long as it’s in C-USA. That’s just the reality.
The Flames did an admirable job last season, climbing to No. 19 in the college football rankings. They very well could get there again. In fact, many college football predictions have them as one of the better Group of Five programs. They have the most resources in C-USA and have grown considerably. Still, there’s a limit to what they can accomplish. Don’t even bother trying to cash in +50000. It is not going to happen.
Conference Odds: Title Possible from the Jump
C-USA was ravaged by realignment, losing six schools, including two-time defending champion UTSA. UAB, which won straight titles from 2018-20, is also gone, along with North Texas, FAU, Charlotte, and Rice. On the surface, C-USA looks considerably weaker.
Nabbing Liberty helps, but it’ll take time for C-USA to rebuild what was lost. The Flames should find themselves among the favorites from the jump, with Liberty Flames future odds of +250. At the moment, only Western Kentucky (+130) possesses better odds in the conference.
Regular Season Wins: High Bar to Clear
The Flames are projected for 9.0 wins, with the Over bumped to -110. That’s a high bar. The Flames matched that total in 2020 but have yet to exceed it at the FBS level.
Certainly, the opportunity is there. The move to C-USA provides more stability, but it doesn’t do much for the Flames’ schedule. It’s mediocre at best. The Flames open on Sept. 2 against Bowling Green. They’re currently a 12-point favorite (-110) and -400 to win outright, with Bowling Green priced at +320.
The Flames get the conference’s three favorites — Middle Tennessee (Oct. 17), Western Kentucky (Oct. 24), and Louisiana Tech (Nov. 4) — back-to-back-to-back in the middle of the season. That should ultimately determine whether or not they cash in on the Liberty Flames future odds.
To Make Playoffs: Not This Year. Not Next Year. Not…
C-USA has never put a team in the College Football Playoffs. That is not likely to change anytime soon. Even if the Flames went undefeated this season, they still wouldn’t end up in the CFP. In fact, oddsmakers aren’t even considering the possibility for now.
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