Updated National Championship Odds After College Football Playoff Field Announced
- Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Notre Dame have been selected to make the four-team CFP
- The unbeaten Crimson Tide are being given the best odds to win the 2021 National Championship
- Read below for the updated National Championship odds and betting analysis
Odds are heavily in favor of the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy returning to Tuscaloosa this season. Alabama is being given -180 odds to win the CFP after the final College Football Playoff Rankings were released Sunday.
Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Notre Dame have been selected to make the prestigious four-team playoff. The Tide will face the Irish in the Rose Bowl game from Arlington, Texas, while the Tigers and Buckeyes faceoff in the Sugar Bowl.
Is Alabama a lock to win the Natty in 2021, or is there another team that presents better value right now?
2021 CFP National Championship Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide | -180 |
| No. 2 Clemson Tigers | +260 |
| No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes | +500 |
| No.4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish | +1600 |
Odds as of Dec. 20 at FanDuel.
Bama Heavily Favored
Alabama is heavily favored to win the 2021 National Championship after posting a perfect 11-0 record during the regular season. The Tide have put up 50-plus points in three consecutive weeks, and are averaging almost 550 yards per game. They have a three-headed monster on offense with RB Najee Harris, WR DeVonta Smith and QB Mac Jones dominating defences week in and week out.
Alabama's Heisman candidates in the SEC Championship
🏆 Mac Jones
418 yards, 5 TDs🏆 Najee Harris
245 yards, 5 TDs🏆 DeVonta Smith
184 yards, 2 TDs pic.twitter.com/Di43OIZ3J4— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 20, 2020
Alabama had looked unbeatable this season until the SEC Championship against Florida. Kyle Trask and the Gators were within one score of the Tide in the fourth quarter before losing by an eventual 52-46 final score.
Trask throwing for over 400 yards againsts this Alabama secondary highlights potential defensive weakness for the Tide. Ole Miss also dropped 48 points on Bama earlier this season.
Clemson Offers Intriguing Value
Clemson looks like the one team that could give Alabama problems following its dominant 34-10 victory over the Fighting Irish in the ACC Championship game. After losing a close game in South Bend without several key players, the Tigers got back three defensive starters and QB Trevor Lawrence in the title game.
The returning starters made a huge difference in a championship game that was never close. Lawrence reminded the football world why he’s regarded as the best player in the nation with a stellar outing that saw him throw for 322 yards and two touchdowns while adding 90 yards on the ground.
This is a completely different Clemson when the team is fully healthy. They have one of the best pass rushes in the nation and made Ian Book run for his life on Saturday. It would be very interesting to see them matchup against Alabama’s monstrous offensive line. Mac Jones has faced very minimal pressure behind the Crimson Tide OL this year.
Have We Seen Ohio State’s Best Yet?
Ohio State is listed at +500 in the National Championship odds despite posting a perfect 6-0 record in the Big Ten this season. COVID has really decimated the Buckeyes this season, as the team has had trouble getting into a rhythm due to cancelled games.
They were without half a dozen players in the Big Ten Championship against Northwestern, including star receiver Chris Olave, LB Baron Browning, DE Tyler Friday and punter Drue Chrisman.
Ohio State: Only power five team with two 75+ graded WRs
🚀 Garrett Wilson
🚀 Chris Olave pic.twitter.com/KEBtUgs4mH— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 14, 2020
It’s unclear how many of these players will be available for the Rose Bowl, which means it’s probably best to wait before placing a wager. The Buckeyes lost a close 29-23 game to Lawrence and the Tigers in the 2019 CFP Semi-Final and will be hungry for revenge.
It was Oklahoma transfer running back Trey Sermon who stole the show in the Big 10 Title game with an insane 331 yard rushing performance. The Buckeyes’ defense also looked fantastic, forcing three turnovers on Wildcats QB Peyton Ramsey and limiting Northwestern’s lethal rushing attack to just 1.7 yards per carry after halftime.
Aside from the COVID-19 issues, the concern for Ohio State is Justin Fields. He’s looked a little bit off lately and struggled against Northwestern, completing just 12-of-27 passes for 114 yards and no touchdowns with two interceptions. He’s one of the best in the country when he’s on top of his game, but Saturday marked the second consecutive big game in which the junior made some costly mistakes.
Brady is the lead NHL and College Football editor at Sports Betting Dime, where he specializes in betting odds and data-driven analysis. Brady has over 10 years experience working in sports media, with work published by outlets such as ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports.
