Ohio State odds, prediction, betting trends for 2021 College Football Playoff championship Bill Bender 1/11/2021 Mississippi Senate votes to ban transgender athletes from women's sports. Online sportsbook BetOnline has released the 2022 national championship odds, making Alabama the +350 favorite. The Crimson Tide are followed closely by Clemson at +400, Georgia at +400, Oklahoma at +600 and Ohio State at +650 to round out the top five on the oddsboard. See Odds Shark’s Best NCAAF Sites.

Welcome to Before The Snap, For The Win’s college football show where we’ll break down the sport’s trending storylines, examine each week’s biggest matchups and track the College Football Playoff and Heisman Trophy races.

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The College Football Playoff national championship game is Monday with No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Ohio State kicking off at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).

While the Buckeyes are playing for their second championship in the current playoff system — Ohio State won it all in 2014-15, the playoff’s inaugural season — the Crimson Tide are looking for their third title in six seasons after winning in 2015-16 and 2017-18.

As of Thursday afternoon, Alabama is a 7.5-point favorite, and the game’s under/over is 74.5, according to BetMGM.

Last week, we incorrectly predicted college football would get the fifth installment of the Alabama-Clemson playoff rivalry, but we’re carrying on with more predictions. This time, however, we’re making and explaining bold predictions for Alabama’s and Ohio State’s offenses and defenses, as well as the final score and champ.

College Football Playoff national championship game: Offense

Alabama bold prediction: DeVonta Smith breaks the CFP championship game receiving yards record. Smith would need 222 yards to beat the mark set by LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase (221 yards) in last year’s championship game. The latest Heisman Trophy winner has already had more than 200 yards twice this season and could Monday versus a shaky Ohio State secondary.

Ohio State bold prediction: Trey Sermon rushes for 200 yards. It looks like the Ohio State senior running back is hitting his stride (literally) at the perfect time, rushing for 524 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games combined. Against Clemson and one of the best defenses in the country, he was just seven yards shy of hitting the 200 mark. He’s carried the Buckeyes to victory before, and — especially if quarterback Justin Fields isn’t 100 percent — he might have to do it again.

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College Football Playoff national championship game: Defense

Alabama bold prediction: Alabama slows down Justin Fields and Ohio State’s passing attack. Fields put up 385 yards and six touchdowns in the semifinal upset, but he also injured himself after taking a vicious hit to the ribcage. With Fields possibly not being at 100 percent, expect Alabama to pressure the QB early and often. We saw against Northwestern that pressure and turnovers could force the Buckeyes to become one-dimensional, relying on Trey Sermon and Master Teague III in the run game.

Ohio State bold prediction: Defense contains Najee Harris. Averaging 115.6 yards and two touchdowns per game, the Alabama running back seems unstoppable — especially when he makes hurdling defenders look so easy. But the Buckeyes’ rushing defense is No. 2 in the nation, allowing just 89.1 yards per game, and it’s given up eight rushing touchdowns in seven games. Harris is still a force and may get his two touchdowns, but for this extra bold prediction, he won’t break 100 yards.

College Football Playoff national championship game: Winner

Alabama bold prediction: Alabama wins, 35-27. Alabama will take control of the game early by attacking Ohio State’s vulnerable secondary with Smith, John Metchie and possibly a returning Jaylen Waddle, who’s a game-day decision, per ESPN. Justin Fields not being at 100 percent will cause the Buckeyes to struggle to get the ball downfield, forcing them to rely more on the run game. Expect a strong fight from the Buckeyes but not enough to overcome an early Crimson Tide lead.

Ohio State bold prediction: Ohio State wins, 42-34. These two high-powered offenses are among the top-6 in the nation and comfortably average more than 500 yards per game. With superstar quarterbacks Mac Jones and Justin Fields leading the way against the just-OK defenses, these teams could produce a high-scoring shootout that will hit the over.

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The Alabama Crimson Tide took home their 18th National Championship on Jan. 11 by beating the Ohio State Buckeyes, 52-24. It closed the book on a much-maligned college football season that, at one point, wasn’t supposed to happen at all. With the final game of the 2020-21 season in the books, it’s already time to take a look ahead to college football odds to win the 2021-22 National title.

College football odds: 2021-22

Here is a look at college football odds to win the National Championship for 2021-22.

Futures report

The Favorites

Alabama (+350): It’s not uncommon for championship winning teams to be the favorites coming out of the gate, outside of the 2019-20 LSU team that lost most of its starters. Alabama isn’t a team that takes time to rebuild, they just reload. There’s a ton of talent upcoming, including former five-star quarterback Bryce Young. The Tide aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Clemson (+400): College football is a coaching league. Talent certainly matters, but all the teams that are perennial contenders have great coaches. Clemson has one of the best in the business and with another superstar quarterback stepping up– D.J. Uiagalelei– the Tigers should find themselves right back in the CFP mix.

Georgia (+400): J.T. Daniels announced he would return to Georgia for another year, immediately putting them among the elite ranks of the coach-quarterback duos. Georgia also fields one of the best defenses in the nation, regardless of who they lose to the NFL Draft. 2020 wasn’t their year, but expect Kirby Smart to point the ship in the right direction this fall.

The Contenders

Ohio State (+600): The main concern is that superstar quarterback Justin Fields is leaving the team for the NFL, but plenty of talent remains in Columbus (Garrett Wilson, Zach Harrison). The Buckeyes are always in the conversation, but what’s lost to the NFL this year is shaking oddsmakers.

Oklahoma (+600): It was a tough start to 2020 for the Sooners, starting 1-2 for the first time in decades. Oklahoma moved on to roll the remainder of their schedule, secured the Big 12 Championship, and dominated Florida in the Cotton Bowl. Most of the roster returns, including Spencer Rattler.

The Longshots

Iowa State (+2000): Outside of the top five annual contenders, numbers and talent drop off severely. The Cyclones finished with their highest AP ranking in program history and stamped their season with an outstanding Fiesta Bowl win over Oregon. All-American back Breece Hall is back for another year, as is veteran quarterback Brock Purdy.

USC (+3000): The trend of experienced star quarterbacks returning to their teams continues with Kedon Slovis. Slovis is near the top of Heisman odds tables at almost every sportsbook and the Trojans are looking to fill their potential. A Pac-12 title game loss to Oregon was their sole loss in 2020.

Florida (+4000): Kyle Trask is gone for the NFL, but in his place steps up dual-threat Emory Jones. They still field a ton of talent, including an experienced defensive crew. The Gators will always be able to reload talent under Dan Mullen and will find themselves in the CFP conversation at the very least.

Basics of NCAA football futures

Sports betting is legal in several US States, with more legislation moving towards legalization every day. There are several sportsbooks with user-friendly apps that are available to serve as a platform for betting on NCAA futures.

The advice in this article is specified towards sports betting on sites such as DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook.

When a sport is in season, the “Futures” tab can usually be found next to the game lines. But if you want to bet on the CFP before the season starts, most books will bring you right to the Futures section.

The odds for each team are primarily indicated in two ways. Most books will list a team as a +200 favorite, indicating that a $100 bet on that team to win the national title will pay out $200 if successful.

Some books list those odds as 2/1, but the math is the same. Those books will use those odds as fractions as well. As an example, a team listed as an 11/2 favorite to win the title would pay out 5.5x the investment. That same multiplier would be listed as +550 under the other format.

These odds can change throughout the season and even during the preseason if any news surfaces about injuries, transfers, or scandals related to the athletic department or coaching staff of a program.

History and favorites

Due to the top-heavy recruiting system in place for college football programs, it is extremely rare for an unknown team to win the national title.

But Ohio State was the fourth-ranked team in the field of four when it won the 2014 CFP title.

There is some value to be found if you’re willing to bet against the consensus favorites, which are currently Clemson and Alabama. There is also value if you find the right sportsbook on which to take one of those favorites, so be sure to shop around for the best odds at online books.

When it comes time to bet the actual matchup in the College Football Playoff title game, keep in mind that the underdog had won or covered the spread in all five championships until LSU’s convincing victory in 2020. Also, five of those six title games have gone over the assigned point total.

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Frequently Asked Questions

College Football Playoff Odds 2020

Where can I bet on the College Football Playoff in the US?

Sports betting is legal and live in Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Iowa, Arkansas,Colorado, Michigan, and Rhode Island. Several other states have legislation in the works or are moving towards legalizing sports gambling.

Who is the favorite to win the CFP in 2021-22?

Alabama is the favorite to repeat as champions in 2021 in opening lines across sportsbooks at +350. No team has won the National Championship after being named opening favorites (Clemson was the favorite in 2020-21, Alabama was the favorite in 2019-20), but Alabama looks like the first team ready to do so.

When is the 2022 College Football Playoff?

The College Football Playoff is scheduled to begin on Dec. 31, 2021 with two national semifinals (Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl). The CFP National Championship is scheduled for Jan. 10, 2022 in Indianapolis. Selection Sunday is scheduled for the Sunday before the beginning of Bowl Season annually, with the first CFP rankings released in mid-November.