CFP championship: We're barkin' up the Huskies

Hopefully, you enjoyed cashing those NFL bets we shared on Friday. We sure did! We stick with football tonight as we're treated to the College Football Championship this evening between the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines and No. 2 Washington Huskies. Let's break it all down.

Huskies are 'dogs, we dig that

For our regular readers, you've likely caught that we've betting on Washington for upwards of a month and a half now, as sportsbooks and the market continue to undervalue just how strong of a season QB Michael Penix Jr. is having, instead of focusing on what has been a lackluster Huskies defense.

Yes, Washington does not sport the defensive strength that Michigan does, but it just has not seemed to matter. Each week, the Huskies are not only covering as underdogs, they're winning outright at plus-money. Why would we stop backing that trend now?

YB's college football expert Matt Wiesenfeld agrees as well, discussing how Washington's elite passing attack will be able to put Michigan on their heels in a way in which they have not had to deal with this season. That's all we needed to hear to lock in our looks.

Betting: Washington +4.5, and sprinkle on Washington to win (+160)

Pass the props

Not every state has college football player props, but if you're in one that offers the market, consider looking for a pair of offensive props on both ends this evening.

If Michigan is going to stay in this one, expect running back Blake Corum to be a big reason why. Corum has scored 26 touchdowns this season, the most in the country, and he's found the end zone 2+ times in 10 of 14 games. As long as the Wolverines get close, their star back should find touches.

Betting: Blake Corum 2+ touchdowns (+135 DraftKings)

The name to know on the Washington offense, besides Penix, is wide receiver Rome Odunze. Odunze has been one of the nation's top wide-outs and is expected to go in the top half of next year's NFL draft.

However, you can best believe that Michigan is aware of Odunze, and their top corner Will Johnson is as lockdown of a corner as we have in college football. Johnson will likely be shadowing Odunze here, which will force Penix to look elsewhere.

That's where Ja'Lynn Polk comes in, fresh off a 122-yard game against Texas in the CFP semis. Polk has gone for 100+ yards in seven games this year and has hit this number in all but one game this season. This line is far too low. 

Betting: Ja'Lynn Polk over 49.5 receiving yards (-114 ESPN)

In the news ...

NFL playoff field finalized — It was an action-packed regular-season finale for the NFL, with divisions being won and playoff spots squandered.  What is left is the 14 teams we know will be in the postseason. San Francisco and Baltimore own the two conference byes, and as such own the best odds to win the Super Bowl at +220 and +310 respectively. 

Wild-card weekend will feature six games; two on Saturday, three on Sunday and one on Monday. We've already got you covered with some early betting thoughts for each matchup. Cleveland vs. Houston gets us started with Joe Flacco's surprising run against C.J. Stroud's strong rookie season. It's Dolphins-Chiefs on Saturday night in what should be a great game between two of the league's best offensive minds. Sunday brings with it a Bills-Steelers game that should go Buffalo's way, followed by Packers-Cowboys and Rams-Lions. Matthew Stafford playing in Detroit is simply poetic, and Dak Prescott and Dallas might finally be able to make a true postseason run. The week wraps with Philly at Tampa Bay. No team is playing worse than the Eagles; the Bucs offer some value as a home dog here.

Tomorrow's Bark Bets will break down the full playoff race and what we're thinking for the next month in the NFL.

NFL firings have begun with Ron Rivera and Arthur Smith — Black Monday got going early, with Atlanta wasting no time and firing Arthur Smith last night following a 7-10 season. The dismissals continued Monday morning. In a not-surprising-at-all move, Washington let go of Ron Rivera as the new ownership group looks to start fresh with the No. 2 pick in their pocket. Carolina let go of GM Scott Fitterer less than a year after he moved up for Bryce Young; the Panthers' future is looking bleak. Most eyes are on New England and what's to come with Bill Belichick, who is widely expected to be wrapping up his tenure with the Patriots. 

Today's Bark Bets is written by Griffin Carroll. Follow him on Substack: griffybets.substack.com.