Alabama vs. Ohio State odds for College Football Playoff championship favor Tide

Tom Gatto

Alabama vs. Ohio State odds for College Football Playoff championship favor Tide image

Bookmakers aren't giving Ohio State a ton of respect, either.

The guys in Vegas and other locales have made the Buckeyes a sizable underdog for their College Football Playoff national championship game against Alabama on Jan. 11. The early point spread has Ohio State getting seven points from the Crimson Tide, according to The Action Network.

Of course, the Bucks were a similar-sized 'dog in their Sugar Bowl semifinal game Friday night against No. 2 Clemson; they got 7.5 from the Tigers. Then they went out and won outright by three touchdowns.

CFP TAKEAWAYS: OSU-Clemson | Bama-ND

That result made one anonymous bettor seven figures richer, also per The Action Network.

Alabama was about a three-touchdown favorite against Notre Dame in its Rose Bowl semifinal in Texas, the largest spread for a College Football Playoff game. The closing line was in the 19- to 20-point range, but a late touchdown by Irish quarterback Ian Book secured a cover for the underdog.

The Tide's 31-14 win meant the total fell well under the closing line of 65.5. The 49-28 Ohio State-Clemson result made the total go comfortably over 68.5. The books portray the championship game as a shootout, with the Alabama-Ohio State over-under opening around 75 or 76.

Tom Gatto

Tom Gatto Photo

Tom Gatto joined The Sporting News as a senior editor in 2000 after 12 years at The Herald-News in Passaic, N.J., where he served in a variety of roles including sports editor, and a brief spell at APBNews.com in New York, where he worked as a syndication editor. He is a 1986 graduate of the University of South Carolina.