The Alabama Crimson Tide are 26-0 straight up and 17-9 against the spread over their last 26 games played. The Crimson Tide will try to wrap up a perfect season and a second straight championship on Monday against the Clemson Tigers.
National Championship 2017 odds: Alabama favored over Clemson again
The Alabama Crimson Tide will take their lengthy winning streak into college football’s championship game as clear betting favorites against the Clemson Tigers.
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Alabama is a 6.5-point favorite in Tampa at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. In their last nine games as a betting favorite, the Crimson Tide are 7-2 ATS.
The Crimson Tide finished the regular season with the best scoring defense in the nation allowing only 11.8 points per game. That elite defense was on full display in the Peach Bowl, breaking open a 10-7 game late in the first half with a pick-six that eventually propelled Alabama to a 24-7 win and cover as a 13-point favorite.
In a game that will go down in the record books as a dominant one on defense for Alabama, running back Bo Scarbrough made his presence felt on offense with two touchdowns and a Crimson Tide bowl record of 180 rushing yards.
Nick Saban continued his postseason dominance with last Saturday's win as Alabama improved to 8-2 SU and 7-3 ATS in its last 10 playoff games per the OddsShark College Football Database.
Betting Line / Total: Alabama -6.5 / 50.5 Points
Trend: Alabama is 7-2 ATS in its last nine games as favorite.
Trend: The total has gone UNDER in four of Clemson’s last five games on a Monday.
For as well as Alabama’s defense played, it may have been upstaged by the performance of the Tigers in the Fiesta Bowl. Ohio State was a 1.5-point favorite at kickoff, but the game ended up being totally lopsided as Clemson rolled to a 31-0 victory.
Clemson has been at its best this season against its toughest opponents, and last Saturday was no exception. The Tigers are 6-1 SU in their last seven games coming off a loss in the previous game of a matchup.
Monday night’s total is set at 50.5 points. The UNDER is 4-1 in Alabama’s last five games against teams with winning records.
After all of the thrill and excitement of another college football season, fans and bettors land on the exact same championship game as they did last year. This should be an excellent game between the nation’s two best teams, though with the way these two defenses are playing, it figure’s to be a bit more low-scoring than last year’s 45-40 shootout.
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Clemson Tigers
When: Monday, Jan. 9, 8 p.m. ET
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
