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- No. 1 Michigan is a 4.5-point favorite over No. 2 Washington on Monday night
- Seven of the nine CFP National Championship games have gone over 55.5 points
- The Wolverines and Huskies kick off from NRG Stadium in Houston, TX on January 8 at 7:30 pm ET
Two undefeated teams will square off at NRG Stadium for the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday night. Michigan (14-0) outlasted Alabama 27-20 in an overtime thriller in the Rose Bowl while Washington (14-0) held off Texas 37-31 in the Sugar Bowl.
Before we check the odds and make our picks, be sure to check out our 2023-24 College Football Betting Resources and get the Best College Football Bowl Odds.
Michigan vs Washington
 | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
| Washington | +4.5 (-115) | +165 | Ov 56.0 (-110) |
| Michigan | -4.5 (-105) | -190 | Un 56.0 (-110) |
Huskies airing it out
If styles make a fight, we should have one heck of a national title game. While the Wolverines are dominant in the trenches, the Huskies have a high-flying aerial attack headed by Michael Penix Jr. The Heisman finalist passed for 430 yards and two touchdowns in the semifinal win against Texas, connecting with his trifecta of stud WRs (Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan and Ja’Lynn Polk) for 19 completions, 353 yards and two scores.
A deep ball specialist with incredible accuracy, Penix Jr. had 39 passing plays longer than 30 yards this season. Expected to be among the top three receivers taken in the 2023 NFL Draft, Odunze recorded 87 catches for 1,553 yards and 13 TDs in 2023.
“I think he upgrades 13 NFL teams next week… The fact that it wasn’t even a debate at the end for the Heisman just shows that people don’t watch Washington football.”
— @joelklatt makes the case for Michael Penix Jr. pic.twitter.com/HBvX8hx2kq
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) January 2, 2024
Wolverines ground attack
Michigan’s offense (36.0 points per game) ranked just behind Washington’s (37.6) in 2023. J.J. McCarthy passed for 221 yards and three TDs in the semifinal victory over Alabama. But the Wolverines offense runs through Blake Corum, who piled up 1,111 rushing yards and a school-record 25 touchdowns this season. Corum caught a TD and ran in the overtime winner against the Crimson Tide.
Washington ranked 86th in the FBS in yards per carry allowed, and permitted the Longhorns to rack up 180 rushing yards on 28 carries with three scores.
Wolverines vs Huskies
Michigan is a 4.5-point favorite in NRG Stadium in Houston with the over/under set at 56 points. The Wolverines have the best defense in the nation, ranking first in points allowed per game (10.2) and yards allowed per game (244.5). However, Washington’s D permitted 30+ points six different times this year, ranking 49th in opponent points per game (24.1)
BLAKE CORUM pic.twitter.com/EqytSA3Bh9
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) January 2, 2024
Interesting stats
Michigan and Washington are each looking to become only the sixth program in the history of major college football to finish 15-0 or better. The Wolverines last won in 1997, while the Huskies’ last championship was in 1991. Neither school has played for a national title since the BCS began in 1998.
This will also be first CFP national title game not to include an SEC team since the inaugural 2014 season when Ohio State played Oregon.
Coaching battle
Rumored to be headed to the NFL after being suspended for six of 12 regular-season games this season, Jim Harbaugh is one win away from delivering his alma mater the national title he promised upon taking over in 2015.
Meanwhile, Kalen DeBoer has led the Huskies to 21 consecutive victories, the longest active win streak in the FBS.
Makes the impossible look easy
If Rome Odunze isn’t in your top 3 WRs for 2024, you’re doing something wrong…pic.twitter.com/3lU0PgTvZQ
— Snoog’s Dynasty Society (@FFSnoog) January 2, 2024
Best Bet
Washington has given up only 11 sacks in 14 games, but they haven’t faced an elite D-Line like Michigan’s. The Wolverines also rank third nationally in opposing passer rating, so Michael Penix Jr. may not have the same level of success he enjoyed against Texas, which ranked 49th.
The Huskies have won its last ten games by 10 points or less, and we expect another close one on Monday night. We’ll take Washington to cover the points (+4.5), but Michigan to win the national championship (-190).
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