Ohio State impressed odds with Clemson’s outrage, but the Buckeyes are still listed as touchdown underdogs in Alabama for the Jan. 11 National College Football Playoff Championship.
Crimson Tide are consensual favorites by 7 points over the Buckeyes in the national game (8 pm ET, ESPN).
Ahead of Friday’s playoff semifinals, William Hill’s Caesars Sportsbook made Alabama an 11-point favorite over the Buckeyes in an advanced line at a potential championship game. But after Ohio beat Clemson 49-28 in the Sugar Bowl, the sports cards repositioned Alabama as a 7-point favorite against the Buckeyes.
The line ticked short to the Crimson Tide -7.5 late Friday night, but stayed at -7 on almost all sports cards starting Saturday morning.
Crimson Tide also won comfortably in their semifinals, beating Notre Dame 31-14 in the Rose Bowl. Alabama has been favored in 79 consecutive games and 151 of its last 152 overall, entering the league.
The total over / under the championship game is set at 76, making it the highest total for a championship game in the BCS and College Football Playoff eras.
The semifinals were a blessing for most sports books, with both underdogs – Notre Dame (+19) and Ohio State (+7) – covering the spread. The majority of the betting public joined strongly with Alabama and Clemson.
An Indiana bettor, however, won the Buckeyes. FanDuel reported that he took a $ 1.3 million bet on Ohio State +7.5 from a bettor that the sports book identified only as “The Man from Indiana.”