We're now just a handful of days before we get to watch the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish with a national championship on the line. And after some early betting action, the College Football Playoff National Championship odds have settled down.
I break down the latest college football odds for the CFP National Championship Game in this must-watch title tilt between the Buckeyes and the Fighting Irish.
CFP National Championship odds
You knew a national championship matchup of this calibre was going to get hit hard and early. The opening line for the CFP National Championship game briefly hit the board at Ohio State -7.5, but early bettors hammered the Buckeyes, and the spread almost immediately landed at -9.5.
However, the early Ohio State vs. Notre Dame line movement appeared to be fueled by a little recency bias in response to how well the Ohio State Buckeyes have played in the CFP. The Buckeyes dominated Tennessee and Oregon in the first two rounds before defeating Texas 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl.
Those who watched that semifinal know it was a lot closer than the final score, and two plays were the difference in that game. While the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have the best pass defense in the country, this is a good matchup for Ohio State's high-octane offense.
So, getting that line to 9.5 was enough for bettors to start showing Notre Dame some love, moving the spread as low as -8 before settling at -8.5. That's where the line has remained for most of the week.
Don’t be shocked if this line creeps back in Ohio State’s favor as we approach the weekend. According to BetMGM, as of Thursday, 84% of the spread bets at the 8.5 number are on the Buckeyes, and we won’t start to see the majority of the public start coming in until the weekend or even Monday. A public that will likely be swayed by what the Buckeyes have done in the postseason.
The total has also seen a little action this week, moving up off the opening line of 46 to 46.5.
