Eight days from now, Notre Dame and Ohio State will play for the College Football Playoff National Championship in Atlanta.
Shortly after the Buckeyes beat Texas in the Cotton Bowl Friday night to set up a date with the Fighting Irish, oddsmakers installed the Big Ten program as a sizable favorite. Ohio State opened at -9.5 on the betting line, though that spread has shifted a full point on Sunday. The Buckeyes are now only favored by 8.5 points.
“Most books have moved Ohio St. from -9.5 to -8.5 in the last hour. Notre Dame has money-line odds in the +285 to +315 (Circa) range, & the total is 46 points,” said Vegas Insider’s Brian Edwards.
More movement is likely before next week’s game, though we’ll have to see in which direction the line shifts. Even with today’s change, Ohio State remains a solid favorite.
“Ohio State is 9-6 against the spread and has been a favorite in every game it has played this season. It has covered as the favorite in every CFP game thus far, including its semifinal win against Texas when it covered -6 with overwhelming public support,” writes ESPN’s Doug Greenberg.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, is 12-3 against the spread this season and has covered and won both of its games as an underdog, including over Penn State in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Orange Bowl.
“We found a way to make a play when it mattered the most,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said following the win. “In my opinion, great teams, great programs, find a way to do that.”
Ohio State and Notre Dame will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 20. ESPN will broadcast the game from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The Buckeyes are looking for their first national championship in a decade, while Notre Dame is aiming to capture its first title since 1988.
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