Opening College Football National Championship betting lines, odds and spreads: Defenses reign supreme in Houston

The College Football Playoff saw a pair of fantastic games take place on New Year’s Day. Now it’s time to turn our attention to the National Championship game. This game is a matchup that not many saw heading into the season with a high-flying Washington Huskies team taking on the top overall seed Michigan Wolverines. Opening lines were released in the moments after the semifinal games ended, so let’s take a look at the current odds for the National Championship and give our first impressions.

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NCAAF National Championship betting lines and odds

Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing. 

Point Spread: Washington +4.5, Michigan -4.5
Total Points Over/Under: 55.5 points
Money Line Odds: Washington +158, Michigan -192

Best early bet for NCAAF National Championship 

Washington Huskies vs Michigan Wolverines under 55.5 (-110)

We have what should be a terrific matchup on our hands in National Championship Game between Washington and Michigan. The first look in a game involving Washington’s electric offense is usually to the over, but I actually think we’ve got a good game script on our hands for an under, especially while it’s sitting above the key number of 55. Most of the metrics would suggest that the Wolverines should see success in the trenches with their excellent running game, which could pave the way for JJ McCarthy and company to have success off play action. However, I see no reason for Michigan to consistently test this Washington secondary that is playing at a high level heading into this contest. Instead, the Wolverines should consistently just line up and bleed clock with their ground game, which certainly points me in the direction of the under.

Washington’s offensive line just faced a ferocious Texas front and handled things pretty well in pass protection, but this Michigan front is a different level. Michael Penix Jr. and his elite group of wide receivers are also going up against their toughest test yet in a Michigan secondary that has bottled up every quarterback its faced this season. I expect the Huskies will still get their points but there won’t be nearly as many explosive plays as we saw against Texas. It also helps that both teams play at a pretty slow pace, so this clock should be moving. I’m expecting this game to be played in the mid 20s so I’ll gladly take an under at this number.

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