Notre Dame and Ohio State are the only two teams left after overcoming the difficult 12-team College Football Playoffs.
The Buckeyes and Fighting Irish both needed to win three games to advance because neither team received a first-round bye. Which athletes, then, will compete in front of the largest crowd and the brightest lights?
Discover our top three prop picks for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Ohio State Buckeyes National Championship game today, along with the top Pennsylvania sportsbooks to place them on!
Best bets for Notre Dame vs. Ohio State
– FanDuel Riley Leonard Under 36.5 Rushing Yards (-114)
DraftKings’ TreVeyon Henderson Anytime TD Scorer (-140)
Over 57.5 Receiving Yards (-129) Emeka Egbuka – Caesars
Riley Leonard Under 36.5 Rushing Yards (-114)
FanDuel Sportsbook is where
Why: The Ohio State Buckeyes are likely to spy on Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard during this game. Leonard will surely have to beat the Buckeyes with his arm instead of his legs.
Ohio State will give Leonard credit if he has a great day with these Notre Dame receivers, who are just not as good as the Buckeyes’ safeties and cornerbacks. But you can’t let Leonard’s legs beat you.
According to PFF, this Buckeyes D-line is the best run defense, even if Notre Dame attempts to force-feed Leonard. Tennessee, Texas, and Oregon are the last three teams they have kept to 62.3 rushing yards per game.
Then there’s the beaten offensive line of Notre Dame. Rocco Spindler is available but injured, and left tackle Anthonie Knapp will not play for the Irish.
Although Charles Jagusah will return, the team’s cohesiveness and connection with the O-line may not be sufficient, particularly when facing the greatest run defense in the country.
Leonard’s arm will be the reason the Irish are successful offensively.
TreVeyon Henderson Anytime TD Scorer (-140)
Where: Sportsbook DraftKings
Why: Notre Dame’s secondary is incredibly reliable. As a matter of fact, this season, the Irish rank first in opponent completion percentage, third in opponent passing yards per game, and third in coverage grade (PFF).
But against the Fighting Irish, Penn State dominated the ground game, rushing for 204 yards. Against Notre Dame, Nicholas Singleton averaged 5.6 yards per rush and punched it in three times.
TreVeyon Henderson, the Ohio State running back who has scored five touchdowns in the team’s three CFP games, should benefit greatly from this.
Henderson is quick enough to go by this Irish defense, especially in light of Singleton’s performance.
Emeka Egbuka Over 57.5 Receiving Yards (-129)
For example, Caesars Sportsbook
Why: Over the last five games, the Buckeyes have relied heavily on Emeka Egbuka, who has eclipsed this line three times and averaged 67 receiving yards per game.
The Notre Dame secondary will undoubtedly pay close attention to Jeremiah Smith, so Egbuka will have some opportunities on Monday night, particularly if he is used in the slot.
Egbuka also appears to be particularly noticeable during games versus Notre Dame. After all, he caught nine passes for 90 yards against the Irish the previous season and seven passes for 97 yards last year.
As previously mentioned, the Fighting Irish have a top-notch secondary, but they are unable to contain Ohio State’s top three receiving threats.