Money on Alabama Over Clemson in College Football Playoff National Championship

Posted on: January 7, 2019, 06:49h. 

Last updated on: January 7, 2019, 06:49h.

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No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (14-0) is attracting much more money in Las Vegas than rival opponent Clemson (14-0) for tonight’s College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship.

Money on Alabama Over Clemson in College Football Playoff National Championship, Crimson Tide Favored
Alabama and Clemson are squaring off in the National Championship for a second consecutive year. (Image: USA TODAY Sports)

As of last night, ESPN’s David Purdum reports that 72 percent of the spread money has been on the Crimson Tide. One bettor plunked down $110,000 on ‘Bama covering.

The line continues to fluctuate at Las Vegas sportsbooks, albeit rather minimally. The general consensus has Alabama spotting Clemson 5.5 points. As of Monday morning, that was the spread at the Westgate SuperBook, Mirage, and Wynn Las Vegas.

When the National Championship was first set, the early money was on Clemson after they opened as much as 6.5-point dogs. The early activity forced oddsmakers to shave about a point off their lines.

So Good It’s Boring?

Alabama and Clemson are meeting in the playoff for the fourth consecutive year. It’s the third time they’ll play for the national title in the five-year history of the CFP.

College football analysts are in nearly unanimous agreement that Monday night’s game pits the best two teams against one another.

I think the objective is to get the two best teams,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney told reporters yesterday. “If that’s not best for college football, then why did we even do it?”

The rivalry might be getting a tad old for fans who don’t wear crimson and white or orange and regalia. It might be getting a little old even for those who do.

Thousands of tickets to enter Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, remain up for sale as of Monday morning. Déjà vu, paired with the fact that the venue is 2,000 miles from both Clemson and Alabama, and the 2019 CFP National Championship is going at record-low prices.

“This is a marquee event that typically isn’t this affordable,” StubHub spokesperson Adam Budelli told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s a great opportunity for Bay Area residents to watch a championship game.”

The average StubHub ticket price is around $500, which makes it the lowest since the four-team CFP began in 2014.

Alabama Favored

Seventeen ESPN reporters made their picks for tonight’s finale, and just three have the underdogs upsetting Alabama. The sports media outlet’s “Matchup Predictor,” a computer simulator that projects results based on 10,000 simulations, gives the Crimson Tide a 51.4 percent of winning.

Alabama, the defending champions, haven’t lost a game since November 25, 2017. Clemson’s last defeat came a year ago in this very game to ‘Bama.

With a win, Alabama coach Nick Saban would claim his seventh national championship and break a tie with Alabama great Bear Bryant for most by any coach.

“I don’t ever even think about that at all,” Saban stated. “I do think a lot about trying to make and help this team to be the best possible, and to put them in the best possible position to have a chance to be successful.”