In a highly anticipated college football national championship game, the Michigan Wolverines are favored by 4.5 points over the Washington Huskies. The odds have shifted slightly, with Michigan starting as 3.5-point favorites before settling at -4.5 at BetMGM Sportsbook. The Huskies initially reached five-point underdogs but received some support from bettors.

Throughout the 2023 college football season, both teams have shown different betting trends. Michigan has been the stronger team against the spread, going 8-5-1. In their semifinal game against Alabama, the Wolverines covered the spread as a 2.5-point favorite, winning 27-20. On the other hand, Washington went 7-6-1 against the spread this season but managed to beat Texas 27-31 as a 3.5-point underdog in the semifinal.

Both teams enter the championship game with undefeated records, but they achieved their perfect records in different ways. Michigan was the favorite in all 14 games this season, while Washington was the underdog in three games and won and covered the spread in all three. Washington was one of only two teams in the country to go undefeated in at least three games as an underdog.

When it comes to game totals, Michigan slightly favored the over, going 7-6-1, while Washington had an even split at 7-7. Against ranked opponents, Michigan went 4-0, while Washington went 3-1-1.

The betting trends leading up to the championship game show that public money is favoring Washington. At FanDuel, 64% of bets and 62% of the handle are on Washington to cover the spread. Additionally, 73% of bets are on Washington for the moneyline.

Oddsmakers predict that they may need Washington to cover and the game to go under to benefit the sportsbook. As of Tuesday morning, 69% of the handle at BetMGM was on Michigan -4.5. The total for the game opened at 55.5 points and has remained steady, with 94% of the early money on the over.

In a hypothetical matchup, Las Vegas oddsmakers believe that the Georgia Bulldogs, the previous two-time national champions, would be favored over Michigan. Several sportsbook operators stated that they would have Georgia as a slight favorite, with power ratings placing them ahead of Michigan. However, Georgia's hopes for another national championship were dashed after a loss to Alabama in the SEC championship game.

The college football national championship game between Washington and Michigan is set to take place on Monday evening at NRG Stadium in Houston. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.