Clemson vs Alabama 2019 National Championship Odds & Preview

For the fourth consecutive year, Alabama and Clemson are meeting in the College Football Playoff, and for the third time in four years, these two programs meet for the national championship. In 2016, Alabama won the title; Clemson won it the next year. Last year, Alabama routed Clemson in the national semifinal, so now Clemson comes back looking for redemption this season. Alabama makes their seventh title appearance in the last 10 seasons. This was the matchup that many foresaw back in August, when the season began, and now it is here. Alabama ran up an early lead on Oklahoma in their semifinal this year, holding on to win, 45-34, and Clemson embarrassed Notre Dame, 30-3, in their semifinal matchup. Can Alabama win again? Or will Clemson gain redemption? We have your 2019 National Championship betting preview here.

Clemson vs Alabama 2019 National Championship Odds & Preview

When: Monday, January 7, 2019, 8:00pm ET Where: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA TV: ESPN Radio: ESPN Radio Live Stream: WatchESPN 2019 College Football National Championship Odds: Alabama -6.5 / O/U 61

Why should you bet on the Tigers?

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is a true freshman, but he hasn’t looked shaky at all since he was named the starter over Kelly Bryant back in September. Against Notre Dame in the semifinal, Lawrence went 27 for 38 for 327 yards and three scores, finding nine different receivers. Justyn Ross caught six passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns. If Lawrence can lead the Tigers past Alabama, he would become the first true freshman starting quarterback to win a national championship since Jamelle Holieway did it in 1985. Of course, the quarterback across the field from him, Tua Tagovailoa, came off the bench to lead the Tide to a national championship against Georgia last season. On the defensive side of the ball, Clemson has a thunderous pass rush; even with Dexter Lawrence missing the game via suspension, the Tigers picked up six sacks and eight tackles for loss against Notre Dame. The Irish were only able to gain 88 rushing yards on 35 carries. Clemson has won nine consecutive games by double figures, but they haven’t played a team of Alabama’s caliber. While Notre Dame had an impressive 12-0 season, their only signature win was over Michigan in Week 1, and they clearly weren’t at the same level as Clemson in the semifinal. If you like the Tigers, you see that defense keeping them close to Alabama and their offense finding room down the field against the Tide secondary.

Why should you put your money on the Crimson Tide?

Alabama used their defense and high-flying offense to open up a three-touchdown lead over Oklahoma and held on as the Sooners made their run in the second half. Tua Tagovailoa has put up huge numbers this season with 37 touchdown passes against just four interceptions, and he has the additional motivation of watching Kyler Murray take the Heisman Trophy this year. His top two targets are Jaylen Waddle and Jerry Jeudy, who have caught 19 touchdowns between them. The Tide also runs for 202 yards per game, led by 771 yards from Najee Harris. The Tide’s defense allows just 14.8 points per game. The Crimson Tide has won their last six games by an average of 22.5 points, and that includes ranked opponents such as LSU and Mississippi State, as well as Georgia and Oklahoma. In their last seven games when favored by at least six points, they have covered five times. This is a game between two teams that know each other very well, and I’m not sure that Clemson will have the same mental meltdown that Georgia had in the SEC Championship.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction for the 2019 National Championship

This matchup should produce yet another exciting national championship. We have a matchup between two teams with stout defenses and with young, savvy quarterbacks who have performed at an elite level on the game’s biggest stage. I think that, once again, this game could come down to the final drive and that Clemson covers this 6 ½-point spread. I predict a final score of Clemson 34, Alabama 31.