Opening Michigan vs Washington Odds for CFP National Championship Game
Odds as of January 1st, 2024 at DraftKings Sportsbook. Claim the DraftKings new user promo to make an early Michigan vs Washington prediction.
Michigan Dethrones Alabama
In their third straight CFP Semifinal appearance, the Wolverines finally got their first CFP victory. The top-seeded Michigan Wolverines defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide by a 27-20 score in the Rose Bowl, advancing to their first College Football Playoff (CFP) championship game.
The match was sealed for Michigan when Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe was stopped on a fourth-down sneak attempt. Michigan’s defense, instrumental throughout the game, proved pivotal in this defining moment.
While the defense came up with huge stops, Michigan got clutch performances from its two offensive stars. Quarterback JJ McCarthy passed for 221 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Blake Corum rushed for 83 yards and had two total touchdowns.
This victory is particularly significant for Harbaugh, who returned to his alma mater in 2015 with high aspirations. After a challenging start and some setbacks, Michigan has emerged as an elite force since 2021, winning three consecutive conference titles and making three Playoff appearances.
Despite some potential game-changing errors in the Rose Bowl, Michigan’s overall dominance and resilience were evident throughout the game. Oddsmakers are liking the Wolverines’ chances of getting the job done in Houston.
Washington Dominates Texas
Washington punched its ticket to the CFP National Championship with a 37-31 victory over Washington in the Sugar Bowl on Monday night. Huskies QB Michael Penix Jr. continued his impressive play, throwing for 430 yards and two TDs. He completed passes to seven different players.
While Washington’s defense, particularly their secondary, has struggled this season, they did a great job shutting down Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns’ passing attack. Ewers and his talented receivers were held to only 318 yards and one TD through the air by the UW defense.
Washington has been underestimated by oddsmakers all year, including being set as nearly double-digit underdogs against Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship. Vegas then set Kalen DeBoer’s team as 4-point underdogs against the Longhorns despite Washington being the higher seed.
Dillon Johnson Injury Update
Something important to note before betting on the CFP National Championship is that the Huskies’ leading running back Dillon Johnson suffered an injury toward the end of the Sugar Bowl. He required assistance being helped off the field, and his status for Monday could have an impact on the betting line.
Johnson has been an absolute beast for the Huskies this season, rushing for 1,113 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was fairly bottled up by Texas (21 carries, 49 yards), but he still found paydirt twice. Johnson has shown against tough competition such as Utah and Oregon that he can be a difference maker.
Projected Michigan vs Washington Line Movement
Michigan didn’t get much public betting love in the Rose Bowl, as bettors were firmly backing the Crimson Tide as moneyline underdogs. Sharp money did come in on the Wolverines leading up to kickoff, however, causing the line to shift from -2.0 to -2.5 at certain sportsbooks.
Washington was the public ATS play in the Sugar Bowl, as bettors are latching on to the Huskies’ underdog story. This means we expect both teams to receive a decent amount of money leading up to Monday’s kickoff.
Will the Michigan vs Washington betting line shift dramatically, though? We do expect to see some line movement toward Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines, as the initial look-ahead line had Michigan favored by seven points. Most power rankings have these two teams separated by over a touchdown on a neutral field.
