For the third time in the College Football Playoff era, the Clemson Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide are going to meet again at the grandest stage of them all in NCAA college football. Alabama is the defending champion, while Clemson is gunning for its second title since 2016. Will Dabo Swinney’s Tigers beat Alabama again in the title game? Or will Nick Saban and his boys go back to back? Read on for a preview of this colossal matchup between two giants of college football. Going the game of all games, the sportsbook favors Alabama by a touchdown.
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Betting Preview for the Clemson Tigers vs Alabama Crimson Tide College Football National Championship Game on January 7 2019
Where: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
When: Monday, January 7, 2019, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Clemson Tigers (+6) vs Alabama Crimson Tide (-6) – view all 2018 NCAAF lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Clemson Tigers (14-0 Overall / 8-0 Conference)
Clemson will enter the national championship game without a single blemish on their record after their unbeaten streak this season to 13 games by easily taking down the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Cotton Bowl, 30-3. The game was essentially over, with the Tigers taking a 20-point lead into the halftime break. Clemson showed its sharp fangs on the defensive end to contain Notre Dame’s attack. Fighting Irish quarterback Ian Book was held down to only 160 passing yards and zero touchdowns with an interception on 17-of-34 attempts. The most definitive stat of how dominant Clemson’s defense was the six sacks the Tigers recorded. Clemson’s pass rush is going to be a major key against Alabama. If they could contain Tua Tagovailoa, the Tigers are going to be in a great position to upset the Crimson Tide. The good thing for them is that sacking quarterbacks is what they do for business. They are, after all, tops in the nation with 52.0 sacks.
Clemson, which is also second overall with just 13.4 points allowed per game, is 4-0 against the spread (ATS) in its last four games away from home. On the season, the Tigers are 8-6 ATS.
Betting on the Alabama Crimson Tide (14-0 Overall / 8-0 Conference)
Like Clemson, Alabama is headed to the national title game not knowing how it’s like to lose this season. To get into the national championship game, Alabama had to wreck Kyler Murray and the Oklahoma Sooners at the Orange Bowl. The Sooners had the best scoring offense in the nation, but Alabama’s defense was up to the task and held Oklahoma several points below their season average. Also, the Crimson Tide had it easy on offense, as they took advantage of Oklahoma’s faulty defense. Tua Tagovailoa threw for 318 passing yards and four touchdowns on an efficient 24-of-27 completions. That has been the story for Tagovailoa all season long, but he’ll surely face some pressure from Clemson’s defensive front, so running back Josh Jacobs should be ready to ease the load off of the quarterback’s shoulders. In the Sooners game, Jacobs rushed for 98 yards on 15 carries while Damien Harris added 48 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. It’s Alabama’s defense that probably would dictate how the showdown with Clemson will turn out for them. The Crimson Tide have a two-headed monster to deal with in Clemson’s tandem of QB Trevor Lawrence and RB Travis Etienne, though, that’s something Alabama can take care of, considering that it’s fourth in the nation with 16.2 points allowed per contest.
On the season, the Crimson Tide are 8-5 ATS while the over is 3-1 in Alabama’s last four games.
Writer’s Prediction
Alabama wins, 33-21.
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