College Football National Championship Game Pick: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish – Monday, Jan 20, 2025

The College Football National Championship is finally here, with the eighth-seed Ohio State Buckeyes (13-2) taking on the seventh-seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish (14-1) on Monday, January 20 at 7:30 PM ET. The two will meet at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, where MyBookie has the Buckeyes favored with a point spread at -8.5 (-110).

Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Preview

The Buckeyes have finally made it to the Championship Game after a tough season, with two close losses (three points or less) behind them and a current three-game win streak against the best teams in college football. They defeated the ninth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers 42-17, then a rematch against the top-ranked Oregon Ducks that went 41-21, and finally their recent performance against the fifth-ranked Texas Longhorns.

The Longhorns were down 14-7 at the half, but tied it in the third quarter. However, the Buckeyes were strong in the fourth quarter and added another 14 points, crushing the Longhorns’ dreams. Will Howard completed 24 of 33 passes for 289 yards and a touchdown.

Both teams were close on paper for this battle, with the Buckeyes slightly leading in yards at 370 and they did force the Longhorns to have two crucial turnovers. As for the Buckeyes, Howard did throw it away once.

The Buckeyes are averaging the 12th-best offense in the league when they average 35.8 points per game. Looking at their defense, it has been a tremendous effort in being the best team in the nation to hold opponents to 12.2 points a game.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Betting Preview

The Fighting Irish had that one bad loss early in the season (16-14 against NIU) to help kickstart their momentum this season. They have since won 13 straight games, but with excellent wins over the 10th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers, second-ranked Georgia Bulldogs, and then a battle against the sixth-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions.

Their recent success was a 27-24 outing against the Nittany Lions. The game was tied at 10 heading into the fourth quarter, which the Fighting Irish would eventually prevail. Riley Leonard completed 15 of 23 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown.

Each team was stacked here, which made for a good game. But, they did have two turnovers that could impact their performance coming up soon. As long as they take care of the football, they have a great opportunity to cover the spread.

The Buckeyes are averaging 37.0 points a game, which ranks sixth in the league. Defensively they rank second for allowing other teams to get 14.3 points a team, which is similar to the Buckeyes.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie has you covered for the best College Football National Championship betting odds, currently favoring the Buckeyes by 8.5-points. This matchup will be close according to market predictions, suggesting the Buckeyes have a 55.3 percent chance of winning. The Buckeyes have a great opportunity to cover the spread.

Final Pick: Ohio State Buckeyes -8.5 (-110)