The 2025 College Football Playoff national championship is finally set. Ohio State defeated Texas in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl to advance to the championship game and face Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who beat Penn State Nittany Lions in the Capital One Orange Bowl. The Buckeyes opened as 9.5-point favorites over the Fighting Irish, tied for the second-largest spread in the CFP national championship game and fourth largest in the CFP/BCS era.

Both Ohio State and Notre Dame suffered double-digit upsets during the regular season with the Fighting Irish on the losing end of the largest outright upset of the season as a 28.5-point favorite to Northern Illinois. The Buckeyes lost their final game of the regular season against rival Michigan as 23.5-point favorites, before rallying for three straight wins in the playoff to reach their first CFP championship game since 2021 when they lost to Alabama. Notre Dame reaches their first championship since 2013 and for the first time under third-year head coach Marcus Freeman.

Joe Fortenbaugh, Pamela Maldonado and Tyler Fulghum take an early look at the odds to find value before lines move later in the week.

All odds are accurate as of time stamp. All times Eastern. For the latest odds go to ESPN BET.

College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T

8-seed Ohio State Buckeyes (-9.5, 45.5) at 7-seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Monday, Jan. 20, 7:30 p.m., ESPN

Records: Notre Dame 12-3, 4-1 vs. AP top 25 teams; Ohio State 11-2, 3-1 vs. AP top 25 teams
Opening Line: Ohio State -9.5, O/U 46.5
Money line: Ohio State (-300); Notre Dame (+300)
Over/Under: 45.5 (O -115, U 105)

FPI Projection Ohio State by 1.9 points (55.3% chance to win)

Joe Fortenbaugh’s first bet: Ohio State -9.5

Anything inside of -10 is a buy on Ohio State, thanks to a defense that is surrendering a paltry 17.3 points per game this postseason against highly regarded offenses in Texas, Oregon and Tennessee. How, exactly, is a one-dimensional Notre Dame offense going to hang when you consider that this unit is averaging just 340 yards per game in the playoffs against Indiana, Georgia and Penn State? If that was their average output during the regular season, it would rank 101st in the country. And that’s before I mention the fact that Ohio State’s defense is better than Indiana’s, Georgia’s and Penn State’s. Somebody should do a TED Talk on what transpired during that three-week stretch between Ohio State’s loss to Michigan and the start of the postseason.

Pamela Maldonado’s first bet: Ohio State -9.5

Ohio State has the nation’s top-ranked unit defensively, which stifled Texas in the Cotton Bowl. The Buckeyes’ superior talent and depth on both sides of the ball will overwhelm Notre Dame. While the Irish have been resilient, they haven’t faced a team of Ohio State’s caliber all season. The Buckeyes’ momentum, combined with their recent history of success against Notre Dame, sets the stage for a decisive victory in Atlanta.

Tyler Fulghum’s first bet: First half UNDER 22.5 (+100)

I wouldn’t be surprised to see this total drop as we move towards kickoff. I want to get in on an under now before that potentially happens. Notre Dame likely can’t hang with this Ohio State team for a full 60 minutes. They just don’t have enough juice on the offensive side of the ball. However, Marcus Freeman’s team has proven to be incredibly tough and disciplined. They should be able to keep this game close for a big chunk. If this matchup doesn’t get away from the Fighting Irish, it’s likely because their defense is playing well.