College Football Championship 2018: Semifinals Odds and Playoff Predictions
The top two college football teams of the College Football Playoff era are overwhelming favorites going into their respective national semifinals on December 29.
Defending national champion Alabama carries a two-touchdown spread into the Orange Bowl against Oklahoma, even with the Heisman Trophy winner on the Sooners roster.
Clemson enters the Cotton Bowl against Notre Dame with a similar number in its favor as it looks to earn yet another rematch with the Crimson Tide in the National Championship.
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Although the Crimson Tide and Tigers are the sport's dominant programs, winning won't be easy for either side on the final Saturday of December.
Playoff Semifinal Odds and Predictions
No. 1 Alabama (-14) vs. No. 4 Oklahoma
The Crimson Tide are the more complete of the two teams playing in the Orange Bowl, but it will still be hard for them to cover.
Regardless of who starts at quarterback for Nick Saban's team, it has NFL-caliber talent littered across the field that will pose a threat to the Oklahoma defense.
Alabama boasts three running backs capable of wreaking havoc on an opposing defense, and if Damien Harris, Najee Harris and Josh Jacobs take control, the pressure will ease off Jalen Hurts or Tua Tagovailoa.
Alabama's trio of running backs carried the ball 322 times for 1,945 yards and 22 touchdowns in the regular season, and if they come close to their average of 6.04 yards per carry, the Crimson Tide will be hard to stop.
If that weren't enough to scare the Oklahoma defense, Alabama has a trio of talented wide receivers in Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle and Henry Ruggs that earned a combined 2,633 yards on 142 receptions and accounted for 29 of Alabama's 46 receiving scores.
If Hurts and Tagovailoa are able to connect with the deep stable of wide receivers early, Oklahoma will be in deep trouble.
However, the Sooners possess a great equalizer in Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray, who is capable of matching the big-play potential of the Crimson Tide on his own.
Murray racked up 4,053 passing yards and 892 rushing yards in the regular season, and if he puts together a successful day on the ground, he could become the rare 4,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher.
The Oklahoma quarterback and his 51 touchdowns will be the main reason bettors put their hope in the Sooners to cover at the bare minimum.
Murray has a strong support system around him too, as running backs Kennedy Brooks and Trey Sermon provide a nice change of pace in the ground game, and the Sooners also possess a pair of 1,000-yard receivers.
With so many talented players on each side, it's worth betting on the over, which sits at 77.5 points.
While the offensive firepower will take center stage for the majority of the contest, Alabama comes up with a momentum-changing defensive stop in the fourth quarter and allows its offense to finish off the victory.
Prediction: Alabama 45, Oklahoma 38
No. 2 Clemson (-13) vs. No. 3 Notre Dame
The first of the two national semifinals won't be as thrilling as the Orange Bowl, as Clemson and Notre Dame are both tough to score on.
The Tigers held six opponents to single digits throughout the regular season, and their dominant defensive line is expected to get plenty of pressure in the Notre Dame backfield.
How the Fighting Irish deal with the all-around attack from the Clemson defensive line could determine how close Brian Kelly's team keeps the final score.
Notre Dame's defense is no slouch itself, as it conceded 17.3 points per game, which is less than four points more than the average Clemson conceded.
While there are plenty of intriguing matchups in the Cotton Bowl, one stands out as the difference-maker.
Notre Dame's 30th-ranked rushing defense goes up against Travis Etienne, who is one of the more underrated players on the four playoff rosters.
Etienne ran for 1,463 yards and 21 touchdowns, and if he shines at AT&T Stadium, he'll take most of the pressure off the shoulders of freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Conversely, if the Fighting Irish slow down the experienced running back, they will be able to put pressure on Lawrence in third-and-long situations.
If Notre Dame is able to disrupt Clemson's offensive game plan, it should be able to march down the field once or twice behind quarterback Ian Book.
Notre Dame will be in the contest for four quarters if Book can link up with wide receivers Miles Boykin and Chase Claypool and receive a decent contribution on the ground out of Dexter Williams.
It's easy to imagine the Fighting Irish being competitive, but it's just as likely Clemson takes total control by way of its defense.
Clemson's playmakers will take charge and set up the Tigers to win by two scores, and with the point spread sitting at 13, the ACC champions are the pick.
Prediction: Clemson 31, Notre Dame 17
Odds obtained from OddsShark. Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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