The 2023-24 college football season comes to an end Monday night in Houston with No. 2 Washington facing No. 1 Michigan in a matchup of 14-0 clubs in the College Football Playoff national championship game with the Wolverines as 4.5-point favourites. Here are a few of our favourite betting picks.

College Football Playoff: Washington vs. Michigan Point Spread

This could be a potential 2024 Big Ten Championship Game preview as of course Washington, Oregon, USC and UCLA will leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten starting next football season. In fact, UW will host Michigan on Oct. 5. The teams did meet as recently as the 2021 regular season when the Huskies lost 31-10 in Ann Arbor. Not a ton of current key guys left from that game but one is Wolverines star running back Blake Corum, who had 171 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 21 carries that day. UW’s starting quarterback that day, Dylan Morris, is now a backup to Heisman runner-up Michael Penix Jr. UM’s QB, Cade McNamara, is long gone.

This is the 10th year of the College Football Playoff and the final year before the expansion to a 12-team playoff. It’s the first time since 2014 that the SEC will not be in the title game, and that conference had won four straight national titles and six of nine overall.

The Big Ten is making its third appearance in the title game and the first two were Ohio State (won following 2014 season, lost following 2020 season). It’s the second appearance for the Pac-12 with Oregon losing to the Buckeyes following that 2014 campaign in the first CFP.

CFP Championship Prop Bets:

Check out a full list of Washington vs. Michigan odds

Blake Corum first Michigan TD scorer +125

Michigan moneyline and Under 57.5 points +185

Both teams to score at least 20 points -200

Washington Huskies

Washington hasn’t won a national title since sharing one in 1991 with Miami (Fla.). Michigan last one a title in 1997 when it shared with Nebraska. The winner will become the fourth major program team since 1900 to finish with 15 wins in a season.

The Huskies, on a national-best 21-game winning streak, could be in a good spot because there have been three previous CFP title games featuring No. 1 vs. No. 2 and the No. 2 won all three – although each game featured Clemson vs. Alabama. Then again, three of the past four titles have been captured by the top seed after it didn’t win any of the first five editions of the CFP. Michigan and Washington are the only FBS conference champions to win a bowl game this season, which is remarkable.

UW clearly has the more explosive offence in QB Michael Penix Jr., running back Dillon Johnson and probably the best trio of receivers in the nation Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan. Penix and Odunze could be Top 10 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Huskies lead the nation in averaging 350.0 passing yards per game. Under Coach Kalen DeBoer (second season), the team is 10-0 vs. AP-ranked teams and 5-0 vs. teams ranked in the Top 10. That’s crazy.

Michigan Wolverines

Michigan is a bit of an old-school team in that it wins with a strong running game led by Blake Corum, some game-managing from QB JJ McCarthy and a stellar defence – and it’s on that side of the ball where it’s an utter mismatch. The Wolverines allow just 150.0 passing yards per game (second in the FBS) and 0.5 pass TDs per game, leading the nation.

While Washington was gashed for 31 points and 498 yards in its semifinal win over Texas, Michigan completely shut down Alabama in the other semifinal, holding the Tide to 288 yards and 3-for-13 on third down. Bama QB Jalen Milroe, who will be among the 2024 Heisman favourites, had only 116 yards passing in large part due to sacked six times. That game probably doesn’t get to overtime if not for some really bad Michigan special teams. The Huskies have allowed at least 30 points in six games this season. If they give up that many on Monday, they aren’t winning or most likely covering.

The Wolverines absolutely will run, run and run to chew clock and keep Penix & Co. off the field. I expect Corum to be huge in his final NCAA game because the Michigan offensive line will tower over its Washington counterparts. We noted above that Corum terrorized the Huskies two years ago, and he had 83 yards and a TD vs. the Tide in the semifinal. He also had a receiving score and has at least one TD in every game this season and at least two in 10.

We will give one non-betting prediction: Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh leaves for the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers if the Wolverines win the title.

College Football Playoff National Championship Prediction:

Michigan 31, Washington 24