Ohio State impressed viewers with Clemson’s upset, but Bucket is listed as the touchdown underdogs of Alabama for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Jan. 11.
The Crimson Tide are 7-point favorites over the Buckeyes in the national title game (8 pm ET, ESPN).
Ahead of the playoff semifinals on Friday, William Hill’s Kaiser Sportsbook had Alabama listed as the Buckeyes’ 11-point favorite in the front row on a potential championship game matchup. However, after Ohio State defeated Clemson 49-28 in the Sugar Bowl, Sportsbooks distinguished Alabama as a 7-point favorite against the Buckeyes.
The line briefly lasted to Crimson Tide -7.5 late Friday night, but sat at -7 on almost every sportsbook until Saturday morning.
The Crimson Tide also won comfortably in their semi-finals, topping Not Rose 31-14 in the Rose Bowl. Alabama has been a favorite in 79 consecutive games and has entered 151 of its 152 championships.
The over / under total on the championship game is set at 76, making it the highest for the championship game in the BCS and College Football Playoff era.
The semifinals were a boon for most sportsbooks, with both underdogs – Notre Dame (+19) and Ohio State (+7) – covering the spread. Most of the betting sides sided heavily with Alabama and Clemson and took it on the chin.
A bookie in Indiana, however, won big on the Buckeyes. FanDuel reported a $ 1.3 million wager from the bookie at Ohio State +7.5, which Sportsbook only identified as “The Indiana Man”.
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