College Football National Championship: Best Bets For Washington vs. Michigan

College Football National Championship: Best Bets For Washington vs. Michigan

It all comes down to this. The champion of the college football world will be crowned on Monday night, and we here at BetQL know that you are going to bet on the game.

The Michigan Wolverines are -4.5 favorites over the Washington Huskies in the national championship, which will be broadcast on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET at NRG Stadium in Houston.

BetQL has you covered for everything college football, so let's dive right into this contest!

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#2 Washington vs. #1 Michigan: Live Odds

Washington Huskies Outlook

It truly has been a magical season for the Huskies, a team that no one believed would be this good when the season began. Sure, they had a lot of talent and were projected to be a good team, but being in the national championship game? What head coach Kalen DeBoer has been able to do in his time there is nothing short of remarkable, and he has proven himself to be one of the best coaches in college football this year.

This offense is as close to unstoppable as it gets, and it is where Washington has thrived all season long. Just looking at some of the numbers alone, you wouldn't believe the kind of fireworks the Huskies have been lighting up in 2023. QB Michael Penix Jr. is where it all starts and where it all ends, and his performance this season along with the masterful touch he showed with the football against Texas have vaulted him up NFL Draft boards. However, the question for this game will be if they can do what they have been doing against a defense like Michigan, which ranked fourth in yards per play allowed this season. They have not faced a secondary as good as this one their entire season, as the Wolverines are second in college football against the pass.

Defensively, the issues have been masked by having such a good offense, but the numbers are ugly. Washington finished 68th in yards per play on defense, including owning one of the worst secondaries in the nation, giving up 263.2 passing yards per game. The Wolverine passing attack isn't outstanding, but it is efficient, as they showed late against Alabama last weekend. We will have to see how they can hold up in this game.

Michigan Wolverines Outlook

Jim Harbaugh has a big decision to make soon. Is he going to stay at Michigan or head to the NFL again to coach a professional team? Perhaps the result of this game will be the biggest factor in his decision. I think he wants to win a national championship with the Wolverines and then bolt back to the NFL, so if they win this game, I think you'll see him on Sunday again next year. If they lose, I think he has a good chance of staying to try and finish the job. It won't be easy, but Michigan is as good as any team in the country, and they have proven it every step of the way.

While their offense isn't nearly as explosive as the Huskies' squad, they have been the picture of efficiency in 2023. One of their biggest strengths is their ability to convert on third down, where they ranked 15th in the country and converted on 46.7% of attempts. That is the money down, and if you can consistently pick up first downs, your offense is going to be able to just churn out yards. They were 42nd in yards per play, but they didn't need to be explosive to be successful.

Washington owns one of the weakest defenses they will have seen all season on paper, so they should be able to continue with their effective offense against the Huskies. QB J.J. McCarthy will also be facing one of the worst passing defenses in the nation.

The Michigan defense has been one of the best in college football this year, and now they will be challenged by the high-flying offense of Washington. It certainly won't be easy to defend, as Penix Jr. and WR Rome Odunze have just ripped defenses all season long and both are projected first-round selections to the NFL.

Washington vs. Michigan Picks

Matt Horner: Lean Michigan -4.5 (-110, BetMGM)

I have not bet on the game as of yet, but there is a good chance I'll have something down over the weekend. Right now, I'm leaning toward betting Michigan here. Almost 70% of the bets so far are on the Huskies, yet this line has not moved anywhere at all. That tells me that there is some respected money on the Wolverines here, and I tend to agree.

This will be easily the best defense that Washington has faced all season. I also have been wanting to fade this paper tiger defense of the Huskies for quite some time, but the line is never good enough to fade them. This will be my last chance, so I probably will end up with a bet on the Wolverines by game time.

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