No. 1 Michigan betting favorite to win CFP title

David Purdum, ESPN Staff WriterJan 2, 2024, 01:24 AM ET
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- Joined ESPN in 2014
- Journalist covering gambling industry since 2008

Top-ranked Michigan has been installed as the betting favorite over Washington in a battle of unbeatens in the College Football Playoff national championship game.

The Wolverines opened as 5-point favorites at sportsbook ESPN BET with the over/under total at 55.5.

The line on the title game at DraftKings opened at Michigan -4.5, while other U.S. sportsbooks made the Wolverines 3.5-point favorites over the Huskies.

The Wolverines (14-0) outlasted Alabama 27-20 in an overtime thriller in the Rose Bowl to advance to their first CFP title game. The Huskies (14-0) hung on to upset Texas 37-31 in the Sugar Bowl and reach next week’s championship game, which will be the first without an SEC team since 2014.

The Alabama-Michigan Rose Bowl attracted heavy betting action, the bulk of it on the underdog Crimson Tide at most sportsbooks. Entering the weekend, Alabama had attracted nearly three times as much money from bettors compared to Michigan. But larger bets from professional bettors showed up on the Wolverines on Monday, causing the line to tick up to Michigan -2.5 at some sportsbooks.

Ed Salmons, a veteran Las Vegas bookmaker with the SuperBook, told ESPN that while the betting public was siding with Alabama, the “bigger money” was on Michigan. ESPN BET also reported big bets on the Wolverines, including a $1.35 million money-line bet on Michigan (-130) to win the game outright.

The Wolverines scored on their first possession in overtime and stopped Alabama on fourth and goal to secure a spot Monday’s championship game in Houston.