2021 College Football Playoffs Semifinals: Bettors Backing Alabama And Clemson

Totals Bettors Also Piling on ‘Over’ in Expected Shootouts

New Year’s Day 2021 kicks off with two College Football Playoffs national semifinal games. Betting on the biggest games draws tons of action at leading online sportsbooks, and bettors are supporing the two big favorites Alabama (-19.5 vs Notre Dame) and Clemson (-7.5 vs Ohio State).

“Not a lot of movement, but plenty of action,” William Hill sportsbook director of trading Nick Bogdanovich reports on the opening Rose Bowl match-up between Alabama and Notre Dame. “Alabama is definitely the class, but I don’t think a victory will be as easy as people think.”

College Football Playoffs semifinals

I chip-in at Forbes with some CFP semifinals game breakdown including odds, stats, insight, analsyis and information you can bet on.

A focus is the the more competitive Suger Bowl between Clemson and Ohio State. A shootout is expected with a rising total up to 68.5. Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State QB Justin Fields are expected to be two top picks in April’s NFL draft with Lawrence the consensus overall No. 1 pick likely going to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In the College Football Playoffs Sugar Bowl, PointsBet has gradually seen the total move up throughout the week off its opener of 65.5. “It moved from 67 to 68 on New Year’s Eve and now up to 68.5 with 87% of the total bets and 81% of the total handle coming in on the OVER,” PointsBet director of communication Patrick Eichner reports.

College 🏈 is set to take center stage on New Year’s Day with the College Football Playoff! 🏆

“Until another team like an Ohio State or Notre Dame steps up, the masses will be betting on Alabama and Clemson in the semis every year." – Nick Bogdanovich

Latest odds and trends ⬇️

— William Hill US (@WilliamHillUS) December 31, 2020

Key Factors

Five Factors of college football: efficiency, explosiveness, field position, finishing drives and turnovers. Read more Sugar Bowl breakdown from sharp sports bettor and colleague Sherwood.

Ohio State is more balanced on offense, rushing for 275 yards per game and passing for 253 yards per game. Clemson does most of their damage through the air with Lawrence, as the Tigers pass for 354 yards per game but rush for just 164 per game.

Two years ago in my National Champinship article at Forbes, I bet and picked Clemson (+7) to beat Alabama in the National title game. The Tigers crushed the ‘Tide 44-16. I noted the Tigers strong, balanced offense that rushed and passed for at least 250 yards per game. Clemson also had an elite defense.

While the Buckeye’s defenses is not elite statistically, they have strength up front and have not been able to play as many games with a late start to the seasson, uneven schedule and COVID-19 cancellations. Still, Ohio State’s offense is far more balanced than Clemson, and it’s the Buckeye’s that have great firepower rushing for 275 yards per game and passing for 253 yards per game.

The Buckeye’s are a bet and can hold their own even if the game is a shootout as expected.

You can bet on it.