What ten Ohio State vs Alabama College Football Playoff National Championship predictions appear to be the best bets and picks?
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It’s Ohio State vs. Alabama.
It’s big-time vs. big-time, and we all want and need a really, really good college football game to close out the 2020 season.
Here are the ten best-looking prop bets, predictions, and big picks for tonight’s showdown. Warning … there’s a crossing of the streams here.
Value means as much or more here as anything else – so there will be a few contradictions. Let these confirm, deny, or help you in some way go with your already held beliefs.
Happy College Football Playoff National Championship night.
10. First score of the game an Alabama TD
LINE: +140
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Of course the first score might be a weird safety, or some quirky special teams or defensive touchdown, but that’s unlikely.
Alabama has managed to score the first in 11 of its 12 games, and in the one time it didn’t – the win over Ole Miss – its first points came on a touchdown. Three times, Bama scored first on a field goal, but the overwhelming number is on the side of scoring a touchdown first.
Clemson scored a touchdown first to open up the scoring against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, and Northwestern got the first touchdown – but the Buckeyes scored first on a field goal – in the Big Ten Championship.
Nebraska opened up the season with a touchdown drive on the Buckeye D.
Go Bama. Roll the first touchdown as the first score of the game.
9. Alabama QB Mac Jones over 365.5 passing yards
LINE: -110
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Oh why not?
Jones having an awful day is the one thing no one seems to be thinking about, and obviously this is a big number to hit no matter what, but how many times has he thrown for over 365 yards this year?
Now as many as you might think – six of the 12. However, that Trevor Lawrence guy hit Ohio State for 400 and Indiana’s Michael Penix cranked up 491. Even ol’ Rutgers went for 232.
There’s no real value at -110, but if you like Bama, you’re probably going to with some big stat pick like this anyway.
But if you’re going for the play that favors the bigger odds …
8. Ohio State money line and over 59.5
LINE: +360
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
It’s the same +360 if you’re going for 59.5 or 60.5, and you might as well get the extra value for that one more point from Ohio State on the money line and Over 58.5 at +340.
There’s far better value on this at Ohio State on the money line and with each team scoring 30 or more – more on that later – but if you think Ohio State is going to win, it’s probably going to be some sort of an offensive show both ways. And if it’s not, 59.5 isn’t asking for the world, here.
Remember, the Clemson obliteration of Bama in Santa Clara was 44-16.
7. Alabama RB Brian Robinson over 19.5 rushing yards
LINE: -105
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
There’s no value, but if you have an inkling …
The Ohio State run defense is terrific. It held Clemson to just 44 yards on the ground, gave up 44 to Penn State, too, and Indiana cranked up one fewer yard than you did – it netted -1 in the 42-35 loss – back in November.
Robinson has gone over 19.5 yards eight times, but he didn’t get there against Florida in the SEC Championship or against Notre Dame. All it takes, though, is one big dash, and if this somehow turns into any sort of Bama blowout, he’ll get the ball late.
6. Alabama RB Najee Harris to score the first TD
LINE: +325
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Going back to the first item on the list at No. 10. Alabama has scored first in 11 of the 12 games, and it scored the first touchdown in nine of the 12. Out of those nine, how many games did Najee Harris score the first TD on the first score of the contest?
Five.
At +325, he’s worth the flier.