A roller coaster of a college football season comes to a conclusion Monday night with the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship.
Top-ranked Alabama will face off with No. 3 Ohio State from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Will the Crimson Tide power their way to another title, or will the Buckeyes get back to the mountain top? Here’s a look at the Alabama vs. Ohio State odds and the heading into tonight’s game.
How to watch the 2021 CFP National Championship
- What: No. 3 Ohio State (7-0) vs. No. 1 Alabama (12-0)
- When: 8 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 11
- Where: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
- TV: ESPN
- Online livestream: ESPN+
- Radio: ESPN Radio
- Satellite Radio: Sirius Channel 81 (OSU), Sirius Channel 84 (Alabama)
Alabama vs. Ohio State odds
Coming into Monday’s game, the oddsmakers are soundly backing Alabama against Ohio State. (Odds last updated on Jan. 11 at 2:30 p.m. ET.)
| Alabama vs. Ohio State CFP National Championship Odds | BetMGM | DraftKings | FanDuel | PointsBet | William Hill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point spread (-110 juice unless noted) | ALA -8.5 OSU +8.5 | ALA -8.5 OSU +8.5 | ALA -8.5 -108 OSU +8.5 -112 | ALA -9 OSU +9 | ALA -9 OSU +9 |
| Moneyline | ALA -300 OSU +240 | ALA -315 OSU +240 | ALA -340 OSU +265 | ALA -331 OSU +255 | ALA -320 OSU +260 |
| Total points (-110 juice unless noted) | O 74.5 -115 U 74.5 -105 | O 75 -107 U 75 -113 | O 74.5 -112 U 74.5 -108 | O 75 U 75 | O 75 U 75 |
Most of the sportsbooks are listing the Crimson Tide as an 8.5-point favorite against the Buckeyes.
When it comes to the moneyline, Alabama is listed anywhere from -300 to -340. Ohio State is getting odds ranging from +240 to +265, as of Monday.
The over/under was in unanimous agreement, with all sportsbooks listing it at 75.5 points on Sunday night. However, that has since fluctuated with BetMGM and FanDuel listing a total of 74.5.
Alabama seeks revenge for playoff loss
Alabama vs. Ohio State don’t have much of a history against each other. All-time, these two have just four meetings in their history, with Alabama holding a 3-1 advantage.
However, the last meeting came in 2015 and was a 42-35 win for Ohio State in a College Football Playoff Semifinal. The Buckeyes were a 7.5-point underdog in that contest. They would go on to win their only College Football Playoff Championship after that victory.
Trends are behind Ohio State for this game. The Buckeyes are 19-7 against the spread in their last 26 games as an underdog. They are also 5-2 ATS in their last seven non-conference games.
Alabama has failed to cover in all four CFP Championship appearances. The Crimson Tide are also just 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games in January.
When it comes to the public betting for tonight’s title game, wagers are siding slightly with Alabama. The Tide are getting 55% of the bets being placed.
Buckeyes dealing with COVID again
Ohio State has had its problem with COVID-19 this season, and it was an issue again for the Buckeyes over the last week.
While unclear just who will not be playing, it appears coach Ryan Day and Ohio State will be without some contributors on Monday night.
Ohio State advanced to the championship game after an impressive 49-28 win over Clemson in the Sugar Bowl. The Buckeyes had received criticism, especially from Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, but showed they deserved to be among the Final Four.
Justin Fields had some poor showings toward the end of the regular season, but improved his NFL Draft stock in the win over the Tigers.
Fields threw for 385 yards and six touchdowns against a talented Clemson defense. He also did most of his damage while dealing with injured ribs after taking a big hit during a scramble in the first half.
As a team, Ohio State put up 639 total yards against Clemson. Trey Sermon had a big game as well, rushing for 193 yards and a score on 31 carries.
Defensively, Ohio State gave up 444 total yards to the Tigers, including 400 passing yards. Tonight the Buckeyes face an Alabama offense that ranks fifth nationally in passing (354.1 ypg).
Alabama playing for a third playoff title
Alabama has been a mainstay of the College Football Playoffs, but the Tide have only won the title twice. Nick Saban has brought a total of five national championships to the program, but he is seeking his first title since the 2017 season.
Known for being a defensive-led program in the past, Alabama has a seemingly unstoppable offense this season. The Tide had three of the top five vote-getters in the 2020 Heisman Trophy race, including winner DeVonta Smith. Smith became the first receiver to win the honor since 1991.
Smith caught 105 passes for 1,641 yards and 20 touchdowns this season. He put up seven catches for 130 yards and three scores in a 31-14 win over Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl semifinal.
Quarterback Mac Jones was a Heisman finalist as well. He threw for 4,036 yards and 36 touchdowns this season with just four interceptions. In the backfield, Najee Harris rushed for 1,387 yards and 24 touchdowns while also catching 36 passes for 346 yards and three scores.
While the offense is one of the best in the nation, the Alabama defense has given up some big plays this year. The Tide give up an average of 351.2 yards per game. The Bama pass defense ranks just 76th nationally (243.5 ypg).
There should be plenty of offensive fireworks in Alabama vs. Ohio State on Monday. Strap in for an exciting contest.
