Clemson Opens as Favorite Over Ohio State
Betting odds are out and Betonline.ag has opened with No. 2 Clemson as a 6.5-point favorite over No. 3 Ohio State in the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl.
The Tigers are second in national championship odds at 12-to-5 behind Alabama, which is an overwhelming 4-to-7 favorite to win it all.
That's no surprise, and it shouldn't be a shocker that Clemson is favored by nearly a touchdown over the Buckeyes. In fact, expect that line to go up. Right now, Ohio State is dealing with COVID-19 issues as 22 players missed Saturday's Big Ten Championship Game win over Northwestern.
Also, this is not last year's Buckeyes, and they haven't built the kind of continuity in six games on both sides of the ball that Clemson has in 11. That's a major factor for this opening spread.
Oddsmakers are also expecting a high-scoring affair from quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields as the total on the game is 65.5. The Tigers have had just one game with a higher over/under this season when they visited Virginia Tech.
Last year, Clemson beat OSU as a 2.5-point favorite 29-23 in a thrilling Fiesta Bowl. The Buckeyes were a small 1-point favorite when they were shut out 31-0 in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl.
This will be an interesting line to monitor moving forward, although there won't be as much time to generate as much movement in the betting market with the game being played in less than two weeks. Will that factor into which side the professional and public bettors take?
Potentially, but this is another great matchup in what's turned into a quasi-rivalry, and with OSU being such a huge brand and Clemson being a favorite among the pro gamblers, look for a lot of money to pour into this game.
In the other CFP matchup, No. 1 Alabama is a 19-point favorite against No. 4 Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl with an over/under of 64.5.
In the final Heisman Trophy odds, Lawrence remained third on the list, but a surprising new favorite emerged in Alabama receiver Devonta Smith, who's 4-to-7 to take on the prestigious award. Mac Jones, the guy throwing Smith the ball, is 7-to-5 while Lawrence is 12-to-1. The virtual Heisman ceremony is scheduled for Saturday.
