College Football Playoffs 2024: Washington vs. Michigan Championship Game Odds, Info

The top two teams in the College Football Playoff rankings will face each other in the National Championship Game.

The top-ranked Michigan Wolverines and second-seeded Washington Huskies will play in Houston on Monday for the first title for either program in the playoff era.

Michigan secured its spot in the national title game with an overtime Rose Bowl win over the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Washington's offense thrived against the Texas Longhorns to capture its Sugar Bowl victory.

The Huskies will be the underdog for their third straight game, and in the last two, they won outright.

Michigan is no stranger to the favorite role, and despite that title, Jim Harbaugh will find more motivation than anyone for his team after missing out on the final in each of the last two playoffs.

CFB Playoff National Championship Game Odds

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread: Michigan (-4.5)

Over/Under: 56

Money Line: Michigan (-192; bet $192 to win $100: Washington (+160; bet $100 to win $160)

Game Information

Date: Monday, January 8

Start Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN.com and ESPN app

Preview

Michigan is the unsurprising favorite for Monday's tussle in Houston.

The Wolverines have been favored all season long, while the Huskies have been slighted by the oddsmakers in recent weeks.

Washington was close to a double-digit underdog in the Pac-12 Championship Game and it closed as a four-point underdog in the Sugar Bowl.

Washington was the more dominant team in its semifinal matchup, as it never let Texas lead in New Orleans.

Michael Penix Jr. delivered passes with pinpoint perfection and finished with 430 passing yards.

The Penix-led passing attack is something the Wolverines have not seen all season long.

Sure, the Wolverines faced some difficult individual matchups, starting with Ohio State wide out Marvin Harrison Jr., but they have not faced a complete aerial unit like Washington possesses.

How Penix adjusts to Michigan's pressure and how the Wolverines try to cover the left-handed quarterback will be the top matchup to watch.

Michigan put Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe under pressure in the first half of the Rose Bowl. The Crimson Tide made some adjustment that made Milroe more mobile and effective, which worked until the overtime period.

The Wolverines must be sharper over four quarters on offense to keep pace with Penix and Co.

Michigan scored 14 first-half points in Pasadena and then did not score until the final two minutes of the fourth quarter.

A similar performance in Houston will not be good enough to challenge the Huskies, who looked like a title-winning side from start to finish in New Orleans.

The Wolverines likely need a career outing from J.J. McCarthy to either outplay, or at least match, Penix.

If Michigan can't pass the ball well, it could be in trouble, and the aerial success is what makes Washington such a fascinating underdog.

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