Ohio State impressed the odds players with their annoyance with Clemson, but the Buckeyes continue to appear as Alabama’s lesser-known players for the January 11 National College Football Playoff Championship game.
The Crimson Tide are 7-point favorites by consensus over the Buckeyes in the national title game (20.00 ET, ESPN).
Prior to Friday’s semifinals, William Hill’s Caesars Sportsbook had Alabama ranked as an 11-point favorite over the Buckeyes in a forward line in a possible championship game. But after Ohio State strangled Clemson 49-28 in the Sugar Bowl, sports books republished Alabama as a 7-point favorite against the Buckeyes.
The line stood briefly until Crimson Tide -7.5 Friday night, but sat at -7 at almost all bets from Saturday morning.
The Crimson Tide also comfortably won its semifinals, beating Notre Dame 31-14 in the Rose Bowl. Alabama has been favored in 79 straight games and 151 of its last 152 overall entering the championship.
The total over / under of the championship game is set at 76, making it the highest total of a championship game in the BCS and College Football Playoff eras.
The semifinals were a big help for most sports books, with the two minors (Notre Dame (+19) and Ohio State (+7)) covering the difference. The majority of the betting public played strong in Alabama and Clemson.
An Indiana bettor, however, won a lot at the Buckeyes. FanDuel reported making a $ 1.3 million bet for Ohio State +7.5 from a gambler that the sports book only identified as “The Indiana Man.”