The college football national championship game between Washington and Michigan will be played Monday night, but in the eyes of Las Vegas tipsters, the best team in the country will be watching from home.
USA Today's Ben Foulkes asked several sportsbook operators. How will the Georgia Bulldogs, winners of the past two titles, fare in a hypothetical matchup against the Wolverines, who currently trail the Huskies by 4.5 points?
“My power rating would put Georgia at -1 over Michigan,” Chris Andrews, sportsbook director at South Point Hotel & Casino, told Folks.
And he wasn't alone.
“I would choose Georgia-2,” said Zachary Lucas, head of retail sportsbook operations at Twinspires, according to The Folks. “Georgia is higher in terms of power rating, and Georgia’s offense is much better than Michigan’s.”
Two more oddsmakers told Foulkes that Georgia would be favored.
The fifth person said he would open it as a pick.
Georgia, which entered the season seeking its third consecutive national title, spent the first 14 weeks of the season atop the AP rankings.
Their hopes for another national championship ended with a loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, effectively eliminating them from the playoffs.
But last week, the Bulldogs sent a message to the selection committee that they would beat undefeated No. 7 Florida State (a playoff favorite) in the Orange Bowl.
Do you want to bet on college football?
Georgia State defeated the Seminoles, who were missing many players due to opt-outs and transfers, 63-3, the largest bowl game win in college football history.
Meanwhile, the University of Alabama lost to the top-ranked University of Michigan 27-20.
The Huskies, who trailed by 3.5 points against Texas, defeated the Longhorns 37-31 to advance to the finals.
