After a pair of dominant performances on Saturday by Alabama and Clemson in the Peach and Fiesta Bowls, the national title in Tampa, Florida is set for Jan. 9.
The Tide have opened as a 7 or 8-point favorite in Las Vegas, depending on the book, over the Tigers, with the point total set at 54.5.
The @LVSuperBook opens Alabama -7, 54.5 vs. Clemson in a potential national championship game rematch.
— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) January 1, 2017
Opening Odds (via @CGTechnology_)
— RJ Bell (@RJinVegas) January 1, 2017
Title Game #CFBPlayoff
Alabama -8 over Clemson
This is only the second time this season that Alabama has opened as a single-digit favorite, with the other game being the 10-0 win over LSU when the Tide were 7-point favorites. Alabama is 10-4 on the season as a favorite after covering again in the Peach Bowl with the 24-7 win over Washington as a two-touchdown favorite.
Clemson improved to 2-0 as an underdog this season with its 31-0 win over Ohio State, with both being outright victories. As for the point total, Clemson went Over seven times and Under seven times this year, while Alabama went Over six times and Under eight times.
It will be interesting to see where this line moves off of early action. With how dominant Clemson was against Ohio State and how lackluster Alabama's performance against Washington appeared despite the cover, I'd be surprised if the early movement isn't towards the Tigers to bring this line inside a touchdown by midweek.