Welcome to the reason we bet on college football: The college football National Championship. This year's matchup features two SEC powerhouses, Georgia and Alabama, who have appeared to be on a collision course for quite some time.
When looking at the betting odds for the NCAA Football National Championship, we were somewhat surprised to find the Crimson Tide enter as underdogs against the Bulldogs, despite beating them to close out the regular season. Have a look at the latest college football betting odds for yourself, courtesy of BetOnline:
Please note all of our college football National Championship picks are based on NCAA football odds as of Wednesday, January 5. Since the 2022 college football National Championship takes place on Monday, January 10, you'll want to keep track of all NCAA football betting lines in case they move between now and the opening kickoff.
It's also a great time to check out our reviews of the top online sportsbooks, as there will be plenty of college football betting sites offering tantalizing promotions in advance of the big game.
Best 2022 NCAA Football National Championship Bets
It's always great to see a college football National title matchup featuring two super schools who already met prior to their championship tilt.
In fact, this isn't even the first championship game between Alabama and Georgia this season. They previously squared off in the SEC Championship, with Alabama emerging as 41-24 victors.
That win apparently isn't enough to bill the Crimson Tide as favorites entering this one. College football oddsmakers clearly believe in Georgia's nation-best defense. The question is: Should you follow suit?
Alabama Undervalued Ahead of 2022 Championship
There is a tendency to favor football teams in championship matchups who can really turn the game into a slog. That's what is happening here with Georgia.
The Bulldogs allowed fewer than one full touchdown per game during the regular season and proceeded to limit Michigan to just 11 points during the Orange Bowl. Their front seven, in particular, are ridiculously tough to beat. They often turn rushing attempts into matters of lost yardage.
Still, Alabama hinted at a blueprint to beating Georgia during the SEC Championship: go to the air, early and often and relentlessly. Bryce Young uncorked 44 passes in that one, posting a completion rate bordering on 60, and the Crimson Tide in general were unafraid to chase big plays downfield.
It can be tempting to deviate from that model in the National Championship. So many teams operate to protect leads if they get ahead, which would play into the hand of Georgia's defense. Alabama knows better. They didn't look back after a huge second quarter in the SEC Championship, even though the Bulldogs' defense tightened up.
To be honest, we expect the outcome of this one to be slightly different. Alabama shouldn't win by more than two touchdowns when the Bulldogs have had so much time to gameplan around their attack. But we do think they'll win in the end, thanks to what Young and the receiving core is capable of doing.
OSB Prediction: Alabama (+122)
Alabama Should Cover vs. Georgia
Here are the latest Alabama vs. Georgia point spread betting odds:
- Alabama (+2.5): -102
- Georgia (-2.5): -118
There's no choice for us to make here. We think Alabama is going to win the National Championship, and they'll obviously have to cover to do so.
For all point spread bettors, we recommend taking a longer look at the moneylines rather than these odds. Whenever college football point spread odds are this narrow, the chances are the team that covers will also be the squad that wins.
OSB Prediction: Alabama to cover at +2.5 (-102)
Bet on the Over in Alabama vs. Georgia
Below are the latest over/under betting odds for the 2022 college football National Championship:
- Over 52.5 (-108)
- Under 52.5 (-112)
Linemakers are clearly favoring the under, ever so slightly, because of Georgia's defense. They've allowed opponents to score more than 15 points just twice all year—and surrendered more than 20 points just once, in the SEC Championship. This game could easily turn into a sub-50-point affair depending on how early Alabama or Georgia jumps out to a lead.
At the same time, these two teams combined for more than 60 points in their first matchup. We forecast a similar ending here. Not only is Alabama's passing attack verging on divine right now, but the Bulldogs are averaging nearly 40 points per game themselves.
It will take only one of these teams meeting their season average for the over to cash. And we strongly believe that's what will happen—especially after the Crimson Tide tallied 27 points in the Cotton Bowl on a Cincinnati defense that was supposed to be just as terrifying as that fielded by Georgia.
OSB Prediction: Alabama vs. Georgia will go over 52.5 points (-108)
Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all your college football betting:
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