It’s strength against strength, and something will have to give Monday when the Michigan Wolverines face the Washington Huskies in the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship game. The No. 1 Wolverines (14-0) have the second-best pass defense in the nation, while second-ranked Washington (14-0) has the best passing offense in FBS. Michigan also has one of the best defensive fronts, while UW has an elite offensive line. The team that breaks through will win its first championship in decades. The most recent of Michigan’s 10 national titles came in 1997, and Washington won its only championship in 1991.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at NRG Stadium in Houston. The latest Washington vs. Michigan odds via SportsLine consensus list the Wolverines as 5-point favorites, and the over/under for total points is 56. Before making any Michigan vs. Washington picks or CFP National Championship game predictions, you need to see the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s Jimmie Kaylor.
Kaylor is a NFL, college football and DFS expert for SportsLine, who has covered the NFL and college football for close to a decade as a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. His background as a former college football All-American and NFL player gives him a unique perspective when building his fantasy lineups and locking in his betting picks. He has his finger on the pulse of the college football landscape and has been cashing in big for the last two years.
Kaylor has been red-hot all season, going 98-40-2 overall on his college football best bets for SportsLine this season. He is up 55.3 units, returning a profit of $5,530 for $100 bettors. Anyone who has followed his picks this season is way up.
Now, Kaylor has dialed in on Michigan vs. Washington in the CFP National Championship game and just revealed his coveted picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the college football odds and betting lines for Washington vs. Michigan:
- Michigan vs. Washington spread: Michigan -5
- Michigan vs. Washington over/under: 56 points
- Michigan vs. Washington money line: Michigan -218, Washington +179
- Michigan vs. Washington picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Michigan vs. Washington live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why Washington can cover
The Huskies are 3-0 ATS as underdogs this season and have won five straight (4-0-1 ATS) against top-10 opponents. They will rely on a passing game led by quarterback Michael Penix Jr. that has yet to be stopped. Penix is third in the nation with 35 TD passes and topped 4,500 passing yards for the second straight season. The senior also has been sacked just 10 times this season behind an elite offensive line that earned the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s best.
Penix has elite receivers who can make huge plays. Rome Odunze is second in the nation with 1,553 receiving yards, and Ja’Lynn Polk has 1,122, and both average more than 17 yards per catch. Running back Dillon Johnson has 1,162 rushing yards (5.2 per carry) and 16 rushing TDs. On defense, end Bralen Trice (seven sacks) and cornerback Jabbar Muhammad (13 pass break-ups) are playmakers. UW has won 21 straight games, the longest active streak in FBS. See which team to pick here.
Why Michigan can cover
The Wolverines have been the team to beat most of the season behind a stout defense and balanced offense. They are outscoring opponents by 25.8 points per game, and the defense is allowing just 10.2 points per contest, fewest in FBS. Washington yields 24.1 points per game (50th) and 267 passing yards per contest (122nd). The Huskies offense counts heavily on big pass plays, but Michigan allows 150 passing yards per game, second-fewest in the nation.
Michigan had six sacks against Texas, with four early in the game setting the tone. UM’s offense relies on a powerful run game behind Blake Corum, who has 1,111 rushing yards and at least one TD in every game. Corum has 25 rushing TDs and has at least two TDs in six straight. The Wolverines are 8-2 ATS in their past 10 games, and quarterback J.J. McCarthy doesn’t make mistakes. He has 22 TDs and four interceptions, and Michigan is plus-17 in turnover margin. See which team to pick here.
How to make Washington vs. Michigan picks
Kaylor has analyzed Michigan vs. Washington from every angle and he’s leaning Under on the point total. He has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He’s only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.
So who wins Washington vs. Michigan in the 2024 CFP National Championship game, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the expert on a 98-40 roll on his college football best bets, and find out.
