Washington vs. Michigan: 2024 CFP National Championship Odds, Predictions and More

The Washington Huskies and Michigan Wolverines will meet on Monday in the College Football Playoff National Championship in the last game before they become conference foes in the Big Ten.

Washington is looking to send the Pac-12 as we know it off on a high with a national title.

Michigan, on the other hand, is trying to complete a three-year journey in the CFB Playoff with a championship.

Monday's title game in Houston is the last of the four-team playoff era. The playoff will expand to 12 teams next season.

It will be the first time since the inaugural final of the playoff era in which an SEC team is not involved in the title game. Michigan is going for the second Big Ten title of the playoff era, while Washington is searching for the Pac-12's first crown of the last decade.

Spread: Michigan (-4.5)

Over/Under: 55.5

Money Line: Michigan (-185; bet $185 to win $100); Washington (+154; bet $100 to win $154)

Washington has been the betting underdog for its last three games.

The Huskies proved the oddsmakers wrong in the Pac-12 Championship Game against the Oregon Ducks and in the Sugar Bowl versus the Texas Longhorns.

Washington benefited from a similar approach to win both contests outright.

The Huskies used a fast offensive start in both games and earned a handful of defensive stops to allow Michael Penix Jr. to open up a double-digit advantage.

Oregon and Texas each mustered fourth-quarter comebacks, but they came up short against a Washington defense that has gotten better over the last few games.

Washington's strategy should not change much in Houston, as it needs another fast start to take Michigan out of its comfort zone.

The Wolverines dominated the line of scrimmage in the first half of the Rose Bowl and they were not forced out of their run-first style until the game-tying drive in the fourth quarter.

Washington has a path to victory if Penix and his quartet of wide receivers play well once again, and it has the potential to match Michigan's run-game output with Dillon Johnson, who will play on Monday despite suffering a foot injury in New Orleans.

Michigan is finally in the place it dreamt of being in three seasons ago.

The Wolverines fell short in the semifinal round in each of the last two campaigns.

They probably felt more upset about last year's defeat to the TCU Horned Frogs because the Big 12 side did not put up a fight against the Georgia Bulldogs.

There is no guarantee Michigan would have beaten Georgia, but the assumption is the Wolverines would have played a closer title game 12 months ago.

Michigan is now at the top of the sport as the No. 1 team and it has an opportunity to finish off its three-year playoff cycle with the long-awaited title that head coach Jim Harbaugh promised when he first arrived in Ann Arbor.

The Wolverines have a simple approach to winning games. They control the line of scrimmage and allow the Blake Corum-led rushing attack to eat up time and produce points on offense.

Michigan must guard against Washington's fast start in order to establish its dominance, like it did at the start of the Rose Bowl.

Alabama did not have an answer for Michigan's line of scrimmage play until the second half, and even then, the Wolverines kept themselves within one score.

Michigan needs a near-perfect game to match Washington, and that means it must clean up the special teams errors it had in the Rose Bowl.

The Wolverines missed an extra point, a field goal, muffed a punt and almost fumbled a second punt return.

Those mistakes may be punished more against Washington's high-flying offense, and if they are fixed, Michigan will be in great shape to win in Houston.

Michigan 31, Washington 28

Monday's title game has the potential to be the closest CFB Playoff National Championship since Alabama beat Georgia in overtime in 2018.

Washington's offense can go head-to-head with any program in the country and its defensive showings over the last two games proved it can compete on that side of the ball in addition to its strong offense.

The Huskies have not seen an offense as run heavy as Michigan, and conversely, the Wolverines have not faced a passing offense quite like Washington's.

It may take a few possessions for each defense to figure out the opponent, and that could lead to some early scoring on each end.

Washington has not been blown out this season, and with Penix at the helm, it will have a chance to win, but Michigan's line-of-scrimmage control could be the X-factor in how many points the Huskies put up.

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