Two high-powered offences meet at NRG Stadium for the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday.
The pregame narrative: The Michigan Wolverines have been the favourites for most of the season, and that hasn’t changed leading up to the title game. On the other side, the underdog Washington Huskies are in a position in which they’ve thrived all year long. With both teams possessing potent offences, consider taking the over when they meet in Houston.
Washington currently ranks ninth in points per game (37.6) and first in passing yards per game (350.0). Even against a stout Longhorns defence in the Sugar Bowl, the Huskies put up 37 points.
Michael Penix. Jr looked incredible against Texas, throwing for 430 yards and two touchdowns. Did I mention that Washington has not one, but two 1,000-yard receivers? Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk bring 2,675 combined receiving yards to the table.
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On the other side, the Wolverines' offence has flown under the radar but deserves plenty of credit. They have the 12th-ranked scoring offence (36.0 points/game) and notably possess the best running back in college football.
Blake Corum, who broke the Michigan touchdown record against Alabama, has amassed 1,111 yards and 25 touchdowns this season. Corum has five touchdowns in his last three games alone.
Let's turn our attention to defence, which is the obvious elephant in the room for the over.
Michigan’s defence is the best in the nation, ranking first in opponent points per game (10.2) and yards per game (244.5). There aren’t many holes to poke in this unit, aside from the fact that Washington will be its toughest test by far.
In contrast, the Huskies' defence ranks 49th in opponent points per game (24.1) and has conceded over 30 points on six different occasions, which should favour a higher-scoring game.
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These two teams possess highly talented offences that are capable of overshadowing the strength of any single defensive unit. Consider taking the over when they meet on Monday in Houston.
Key stat: Seven of the nine national championship games have gone over 55.5 points (78.0%).
Damien Lisi writes about sports betting for NorthStar Bets. The Star's parent company has a minority interest in NorthStar Bets. Follow him on Twitter: @DamienLisi
