College Football National Championship: Vegas Odds Guide for Alabama vs. Clemson

The second college football national championship game between Alabama and Clemson does not have an overwhelming betting favorite with the wagering public

Shortly after Clemson and Alabama won their New Year's Eve games against Oklahoma and Michigan State, respectively, the Crimson Tide were installed as a seven-point favorite in the championship. That number has settled at 6.5 points, according to Odds Shark, and 57 percent of the bets have been placed on Nick Saban's Alabama team.

Total bettors will have an opportunity in this game as well, with the over/under listed at 50.5 points. While the public tends to go with the over in most high-profile games, the margin is fairly close to a 50-50 split in this game with 53.5 percent of the betting money going on the over.

Team to score 10 points first	Alabama -175	Clemson +135
Team scoring first wins	Yes -190	No +145
Team calls first time out	Alabama -105	Clemson -105
Team commits first penalty	Alabama -105	Clemson -105
Team wins coin toss	Alabama -105	Clemson -105
Team to score 20 points first	Alabama -230	Clemson +160
Team to score first in second half	Alabama -150	Clemson +110
Team to score last in first half	Alabama -150	Clemson +110

Even though Clemson takes a 14-0 straight-up record into this game while Alabama is 13-1, neither team has been an overwhelming performer against the spread. The Tigers are 7-7 against the number, while the Crimson Tide are just slightly better at 8-6. Alabama has been hot recently, covering in five of its last six games.

So, while there's a lot of interest in the national championship, it's not easy for bettors to lock on to a trend with one team or another.

There are a number of props that are available to handicappers.

Getting off to a good start is often thought of as a must when it comes to winning key college football games. As a result, bettors have an opportunity to wager on which team will score 10 points first. Sports bettors who wager that Alabama will reach the 10-point mark first will risk $175 to win $100, while Clemson backers will put up $100 to win $135, according to Odds Shark.

Another option available to the public when it comes to getting off to a good start is a prop bet on whether the team that scores first wins the game. Bettors are offered the "yes" option at a price of $190 to win $100, while the "no" option returns $145 on a $100 risk.

Other prop bets available include first penalty, first timeout and the coin toss. Each of these bets is available at a $105 risk to win $100 and are available on both teams.