If the season were to end today, one national semifinal would pit No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Ohio State. Station Casinos made this game a pick ‘em when the sports book opened wagering last week on potential postseason contests. In a conversation with The Linemakers on Sporting News this week, Wynn oddsmaker John Avello estimated ‘Bama would be favored by a couple of points.
No. 1 Clemson would play No. 4 Notre Dame in the other semifinal. When these teams met on Oct. 3 in Death Valley, the Tigers won 24-22 as 3-point home favorites, as the Irish came up short on a 2-point conversion to tie the game. Neither team has lost since, and a rematch at a neutral site figures to be around a pick ‘em.
Stations opened Clemson as a 3-point dog vs. both Ohio State and Alabama, and the line in games pitting Notre Dame against the Buckeyes or Tide should be around a field goal as well.
More: Avello on his opening Week 11 lines | Iowa’s got a chance
Meanwhile, on the college futures board at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, Alabama, after beating LSU, has jumped to co-favorite status, with the Crimson Tide and Ohio State both priced at 5-to-2 to win the national championship. At 4-to-1, Clemson is the only other team listed with single-digit odds.
Here are the futures odds at the Westgate, updated this week. Last week’s numbers are in parentheses if changed.
ODDS TO WIN 2016 COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
OHIO ST 5-2 (9-5) ALABAMA 5-2 (6-1) CLEMSON 4-1 (6-1) BAYLOR 12-1 (5-1) STANFORD 15-1 (8-1) NOTRE DAME 18 -1 (15-1) OKLAHOMA ST 18-1 (20-1) OKLAHOMA 20-1 (20-1) LSU 25-1 (10-1) FLORIDA 25-1 (80-1) IOWA 25-1 (30-1) MICHIGAN ST 40-1 (10-1) TCU 40-1 (12-1) UTAH 80-1 (OFF) NORTH CAROLINA 100-1 (300-1) MICHIGAN 200-1 (80-1) UCLA 500-1 FLORIDA ST 500-1 (80-1) MISSISSIPPI ST 1000-1 WISCONSIN 1000-1 BYU 9999-1 BOISE ST 9999-1 FIELD 500-1
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