Alabama Crimson Tide 2019 National Championship Betting Prediction

There is only one team that has made the College Football Playoff all five years since this system began for the 2014 season, and that team is the Alabama Crimson Tide. There are few teams that have ever played at as high a level and for as long as Alabama has, winning five national championships since 2009 and at least 10 games in each of the last 11 season. The Tide went 13-0 in the regular season after taking down Georgia in the SEC Championship late last year. These are all reasons why the Tide are 6 ½-point favorites over Clemson in the national championship on Monday night. Clemson won the national championship in 2017 and has made three national championship games in the last four seasons, but for NCAAF betting enthusiasts, here are the best reasons why you should pick the Tide to win the whole thing.

Alabama Crimson Tide 2019 National Championship Betting Prediction

Alabama has more impressive wins against tougher competition

Alabama became the first team ever to shut out ranked teams in consecutive weeks when they blanked LSU, 29-0 (on the road) and then shut out Mississippi State, 24-0, the next week. They were not able to shut down Texas A&M, but they beat the Aggies by 22, while Clemson struggled to put the Aggies away and almost lost on the road. In the SEC Championship, Alabama was down by two touchdowns in the second half but scored 21 unanswered points with Jalen Hurts leading the offense and won anyway. Alabama has the depth to put two starting lineups on the field with talent that is better than the top lineup that the majority of the nation’s teams have. Clemson’s most impressive win so far is that win at Texas A&M. They did rout Pitt in the ACC title game and then shut down Notre Dame by 27, but the Irish’s candidacy for the College Football Playoff was only based on one impressive win, that victory over Michigan in Week 1.

Alabama’s big-play passing game can put up points in a hurry

If you think about Alabama as a grinding, physical team, you’re thinking about their teams from a couple of years ago. Yes, they have a fast, bruising defense, and they have a stout running game, but Tua Tagovailoa brings a big-play element that Hurts did not. You’ve probably already read about Tagovailoa’s 37 touchdowns against just four interceptions. However, you may not have read that, during the regular season, he completed 20 passes for plays that went for 40 or more yards and 13 that went for at least 50 yards. That stretches the field considerably, opening the line up for the running game to make inroads when Clemson puts in a nickel package. With this type of balance, Alabama brings an offense that Clemson has not seen this year. Given that Tagovailoa did not play when Hurts led the Alabama offense over Clemson in last year’s semifinal, you could argue that Clemson didn’t even see this offensive prowess when they played the Tide last year.

Alabama’s front seven on defense will control the Clemson offense

On the season, Alabama has limited opponents to 3.4 yards per carry. In the SEC Championship, they held Georgia to 153 yards on the ground, 3.9 yards per carry. The keystone of this unit is nose guard Quinnen Williams, who has put up 18 tackles for loss and eight sacks in 13 games. Ends Raekwon Davis and Isaiah Buggs have combined for 18 tackles for loss. That unit should be able to limit Clemson’s running game and force some long third downs. The secondary does have some weaknesses, but if the front seven can put pressure on Trevor Lawrence, Clemson’s ability to generate big plays down the field should be minimized.