Friday, November 22, 2024

Betting, Gambling

National Championship Big Bets

It all comes down to this. Alabama and Ohio State will play on Monday night in Miami for the National Championship. This season has been a mess and it’s debatable whether Ohio State should be in this game to begin with. However, the excitement is still uncontainable. Let’s look at some of the big bets for this game and try to determine which bets to take. Both quarterbacks have odds for their passing yards, the game itself has one of the highest totals, and, unsurprisingly, Alabama is favored again.

Mac Jones Passing Yards Over-Under: 365.5

Jan 1, 2021; Arlington, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones (10) throws against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half in the Rose Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Mac Jones is expected to have a field day against the Buckeyes. Particularly against the secondary that has a fair share of injuries. The receivers Jones can throw to in this game are without question going to boost his stats. Davante Smith is the Heisman winning receiver and Jaylen Waddle is poised to return for this game. There are two reasons to bet the Under on Mac Jones’s passing yards. One: This is a high total. Two: Mac Jones has only thrown over 365 passing yards in two of the last seven games. Expect the Under to cover with Alabama also running the ball often in this game.

Prediction: Under 365.5 Yards

Justin Fields Passing Yards Over-Under: 290.5

Jan 1, 2021; New Orleans, LA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields (1) attempts a pass against the Clemson Tigers during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Once again, we see a high total for passing yards. Justin Fields hasn’t been a frequent 300-yard passer this season and the National Championship means he will face the toughest defense to date. It’s likely that Fields struggles and the Buckeyes get blown out. It’s also likely that Ohio State grabs a lead in this game late and runs out the clock with designed runs. The most likely scenario is that this game becomes a shootout and Justin Fields will need to be unleashed for the Buckeyes to keep up in this game. Expect Fields to throw for 300 passing yards in a high scoring game.

Prediction: Over 290.5 Yards

Over-Under: 74.5

This is a high total for a National Championship game. In fact, there has only been one other time where the total was this high. Instincts say to bet the Under in this game with the total being too high to cover. However, the Over should cover in this game with both offenses taking off. Ohio State’s offense isn’t as good and has struggled throughout the season but found their rhythm against Clemson last week. For this total to cover, you need both Alabama and Ohio State to score at least 35 points. Considering that Alabama has been scoring 50 points on a regular basis, it will be a question of whether Ohio State can keep up. Ohio State will keep this game close and thus keep the game high scoring.

Prediction: Over 74.5

Ohio State (+7.5) Versus Alabama

Alabama is poised to win this game and probably will with the more talented roster. Any football purist (like myself) should be rooting for the Crimson Tide since Ohio State only played a few games and was basically elected to the playoff based on reputation. Alabama is better, but the question is if they will cover the spread. I see Ohio State making this game close and constantly keeping this game within one score. the last time I felt overconfident in Alabama against Ohio State, they laid a goose egg and Ohio State pulled off the upset.

Prediction: Ohio State (+7.5)

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