Dave Gloeckner 
We’ve made it to the final game of the 2023 College Football season as Michigan and Washington face-off to decide the CFB championship. On paper, this looks like one of the better championship games in recent history as we have two undefeated teams who have found different ways to win all their games. So let’s get right to it and breakdown my favorite bets for tonight’s game in Houston, Texas.
2023 BOWL GAME RECORD: 18-11
Monday January 8th
CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP (7:30PM EST): #1 MICHIGAN WOLVERINES vs #2 WASHINGTON HUSKIES
Tonight’s National Championship has so many storylines that catch your attention. For one, this is the first College Football Championship that doesn’t feature an SEC team since 2014. Then there’s the Washington Huskies, who are representing the Pac-12 Conference for the last time. The conference underwent a complete upheaval in the preseason leaving just Washington State and Oregon State behind. Thus ending the conference’s storied tradition. And it won’t be USC, UCLA or Oregon playing the conference’s last football game but instead the underdog Huskies.
As for Michigan, Head Coach Jim Harbaugh has been suspended twice this season for varying reasons. But the biggest one was a sign-stealing scandal that left doubts to football fans about whether they were playing on a even playing field. And through all that, they were able to prevail in every game and make it to the championship tonight vying to win their first undisputed title since 1948.
Putting those stories aside, there is a game to play and a trophy to be lifted. We have a dynamic Washington offense that is dominant in every aspect. QB Michael Penix Jr. has proven he can play at the highest of levels as he will be drafted in this spring’s NFL Draft. He has three dynamic receivers in Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Ja’Lynn Polk. All three pass catchers will be called on to make plays tonight in order for Washington to keep up with the Wolverines.
Michigan’s offense is much simpler as they depend on the running game behind star RB Blake Corum. And once the running game gets going, Michigan has full trust in their QB JJ McCarthy to make the right plays. For the season, McCarthy has thrown just 4 interceptions and he didn’t turn the ball over in their biggest games against Ohio State and Alabama.
The offenses are close, with an edge to Washington. But the biggest gap is the difference in the defenses. Washington is in the bottom 5 in the country in rush success defense and line yards allowed. On the other side, Michigan is 8th in both categories. Washington has a great O-Line but they haven’t seen a pass rush like Michigan, who is 10th in Havoc.
In the end, I think there is a way for Washington to win this game. They can pull off a game plan like TCU did last year when they upset Michigan. But that took the Frogs creating 3 turnovers and putting up almost 500 yards of offense. Those two tasks are going to be very hard to replicate versus this Michigan team. The Wolverines have a simpler equation to winning tonight and that’s with their bread-and-butter; run game and defense. Those two make for a combination that will make it tough for Washington to compete with. I will be cheering for the dog, but I will be betting the favorite. It’s Harbaugh’s time…..
PICK: MICHIGAN -4.5
OTHER GAME PROPS/BETS
Here are a few props/bets I also like for tonight:
- Blake Corum 2+ TD’s (-120)
- Blake Corum over 150 yards rushing (+400)
- Michael Penix Jr. 3+ Passing TD’s (+170)
- Jalen McMillan over 100 yards receiving (+375)
- Over 55 points (-110)
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