We’re just hours away from the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish facing off for a national title. That means we have one more chance to check in on the College Football Playoff National Championship odds before game time.
I break down the latest betting action on the college football odds for the CFP National Championship Game and look at where they could end up at kickoff for this must-see matchup between the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish.
CFP National Championship odds
The spread for this National Championship matchup between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish has certainly been intriguing.
The look-ahead line had the Buckeyes as 7.5-point favorites, but the line hit the board at 9.5 immediately following Ohio State’s win over Texas in the Cotton Bowl. This may be due to some recency bias related to how well Ohio State has played in the Playoff.
However, Notre Dame saw enough action during the opening weekend that the line moved to 8.5. While the spread has stayed put, Ohio State has seen the bulk of the ATS action with 55% of the bets and 64% of the money, according to BetMGM as of Monday morning.
When it comes to the futures market, BetMGM doesn’t care who lifts the trophy at the end of the game but could be exposed when it comes to the moneyline.
"We'll be fine with either team taking home the trophy but Notre Dame moneyline betting will surely become an overall negative result by kickoff," said BetMGM Sportsbook Sr. Trader Michael Ranftle in a press release on Monday.
That’s because bettors appear willing to take a shot on the underdog Irish to win outright, with 83% of the bets and 50% of the money on Notre Dame (+310) to win.
With that in mind, I would act now if you like Ohio State ATS and wait if you are thinking of backing Notre Dame. You can expect a wave of public money on Monday leading up to kickoff, and that public will likely be swayed by Ohio State’s recent dominance.
Looking for more news and analysis? Check out our CFP National Championship blog for Ohio State vs. Notre Dame live updates.
