Washington vs. Michigan odds, line, spread: 2023 College Football Playoff Championship picks, predictions from Wolverines expert

The top-ranked Michigan Wolverines and second-ranked Washington Huskies face off Monday in the College Football Playoff Championship at NRG Stadium in Houston. Both teams come in at 14-0 after Michigan beat Alabama 27-20 in overtime in the Rose Bowl last Monday and Washington won the Sugar Bowl 37-31.

Monday's kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Wolverines are 4.5-point favorites in the latest Washington vs. Michigan odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 56. Before you make any Michigan vs. Washington picks of your own, you need to see who Mike Tierney is picking, given his mastery of picking against the spread in games involving Michigan.

The veteran sportswriter, whose work has appeared in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, has covered football of all levels for decades. More importantly, Tierney has a strong read on the Wolverines and has gone 14-5 (+843) on his past 19 against-the-spread picks in Michigan games.

Tierney knows the Wolverines can dominate on either side of the ball, and they held Alabama to just 116 passing yards in Monday night's victory. Michigan kept its balanced approach, with quarterback J.J. McCarthy throwing for 221 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Blake Corum rushed for 83 yards and scored twice, including the overtime winner. The defense had six sacks.

But Tierney also has considered that the Huskies, led by Michael Penix, can light up the scoreboard. The Heisman Trophy runner-up threw for 430 yards and two TDs, and receivers Rome Odunze (125 yards) and Ja'Lynn Polk (122) both made big plays. The defense had two takeaways and held strong as the Longhorns had four shots to score inside the 15-yard line in the final minute.

For Monday's College Football Playoff Championship, Tierney has analyzed all aspects of the Michigan vs. Washington showdown. We can tell you he's leaning Under the point total and he's found a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. You NEED to see his analysis before locking in any Washington vs. Michigan picks of your own.