Updated Betting Lines for Alabama vs Michigan & Texas vs Washington CFP Semifinals
By Brady Trettenero in College Football
Updated: January 1, 2024 at 11:53 am ESTPublished:
- Updated betting lines have been released for Alabama vs Michigan and Texas vs Washington
- College football line movement can help you determine which teams the sharps are expecting to win
- Read below for the updated odds, spread, and line for both Alabama vs. Michigan and Texas vs Washington
The 2023-24 CFP Semifinals could be the best in years, as both matchups are fairly evenly matched and offer plenty of intrigue. Ever since the betting lines opened for Alabama vs Michigan and Texas vs Washington, the spreads and totals for both games have been shifting.
The line movement in these games can provide some insight into which way the professional bettors are wagering (i.e., sharps). Of course, the pros aren’t right every time, but they are on the right side of the action more often than not.
Let’s analyze the latest betting lines for both Alabama vs Michigan and Texas vs Washington.
Latest CFP Semifinal Odds
| Bowl Game | Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rose Bowl | No. 4 Alabama | +2.5 (-110) | +108 | O 45.5 (-110) |
| Jan. 1 | No. 1 Michigan | -2.5 (-110) | -130 | U 45.5 (-110) |
| Bowl Game | Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
| Sugar Bowl | No. 3 Texas | -4 (-110) | -175 | O 63.5 (-110) |
| Jan. 1 | No. 2 Washington | +4 (-110) | +145 | U 63.5 (-110) |
In the updated CFP Semifinal odds for New Year’s Day, the Texas Longhorns are the heavier favorite with -175 moneyline odds and -4 against the spread. The Alabama vs Michigan line is tighter, with the Wolverines only -130 moneyline favorites.
The Rose Bowl is the first game of the day and will kickoff at 5:00 pm EST, while the Sugar Bowl follows at 8:45 EST. Both games will be televised on ESPN.
SBD's Odds Boost of the Day:
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Odds as of January 1st, at FanDuel Sportsbook. Take advantage of the unique odds boost FanDuel is offering for the CFP Semifinals.
Alabama vs Michigan Odds & Spread
The Alabama vs Michigan betting line has arguably been the more compelling one of the two CFP Semifinals. The spread opened with Michigan favored by two points and moved down to MICH -1 before going up to -2.5. It’s now settled at either MICH -2 or MICH -2.5 depending on your sportsbook.
Michigan fans… this one's for YOU! 〽️✨
What a season it was @UMichFootball, but it's not over yet- see you at the Rose Bowl🌹 pic.twitter.com/JcmqYu2RAG
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) January 1, 2024
The Alabama vs. Michigan line movement tells us that the sharps are divided on which team will win and cover the spread. They are more in unison when it comes to the game total, however, as the over/under has dropped from its 46 opening number down to 45.5 at the time of publishing.
We like the “under” in this game as well and have put Alabama +2 in our Alabama vs Michigan prediction. The Wolverines have lost six straight bowl games, while Alabama, on the other hand, has a great track record in the semifinals, winning six out of seven times and securing three national titles in the College Football Playoff era.
Texas vs Washington Betting Line
The Texas vs Washington betting line hasn’t seen as much tumultuous movement as the Alabama vs Michigan spread. It opened with Texas favored by 4 points in early December and has held fairly steady in the ensuing weeks. It did climb up to TEX -4.5 at some sportsbooks, but never moved significantly towards UW.
whole lot to celebrate this year 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/wReYLHX6YI
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) January 1, 2024
We didn’t expect any line movement towards Washington in this game, as oddsmakers have been skeptical of them all season. They made the Huskies nearly double-digit underdogs against Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship despite Washington beating them in the regular season.
The total for Washington vs Texas has also dropped from 63 down to 62, which might surprise some who are forecasting a shootout between Michael Penix Jr. and Quinn Ewers. Keep in mind these two teams only combined for 47 points in the Alamo Bowl last season.
Public Betting for CFP Semifinal
How might the college football public betting trends impact the betting lines for the CFP semifinals? The public ATS money was initially fairly divided on Alabama vs Michigan, but the Crismon Tide are now drawing 62% of the ATS handle.
There is an instance of square vs sharp in the Sugar Bowl when it pertains to who will win the game. This is a scenario in which the public and professionals are on opposite sides of each other.
The latest CFP splits show Washington receiving 19% of bets but only 7% of the handle in the Sugar Bowl. This means that lots of people are backing Washington to win, but the amount of money wagered isn’t substantial. The more serious money is on Texas (82% of bets, 92% of the handle).
Lead NHL & NCAAF Editor
Brady is the lead NHL and College Football editor at Sports Betting Dime, where he specializes in betting odds and data-driven analysis. Brady has over 10 years experience working in sports media, with work published by outlets such as ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports.
