The College Football Playoff National Championship between Alabama and Georgia is setting up to be a big decision for some Las Vegas sportsbooks, with the house rooting for the underdog Bulldogs.
Alabama heads into Monday as a 3.5- or 4-point favorite over Georgia in an all-SEC championship game. The Crimson Tide are -180 on the money line.
The betting action during the week leading up to the title game became increasingly lopsided on Alabama at sportsbooks around Las Vegas.
Six of the seven largest point-spread bets placed on the game as of Sunday at sportsbook operator CG Technology were on Alabama, including two $50,000 bets on the Crimson Tide minus the points from the same bettor. CG Technology vice president Jason Simbal said his shop took a six-figure money-line bet on Alabama.
As of Sunday afternoon at William Hill's Nevada sportsbook, 73 percent of the point-spread money and 88 percent of the money-line money was on the Crimson Tide.
"It looks like we're going to be Bulldogs fans," a sportsbook manager for Caesars Palace books told ESPN.
The point spread grew to as high as Alabama -4.5 early last week at the Westgate SuperBook, after a bettor placed a five-figure bet on the Crimson Tide. The line started coming back down across the market later in the week, as Alabama's injury situation was revealed.
Starting right guard Lester Cotton and linebacker Anfernee Jennings have been ruled out for Monday's game, and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is coming back from a kidney injury suffered last week against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl.
The Alabama injuries haven't slowed down the money on the Crimson Tide, though.
"Last week, they wouldn't stop betting Clemson," said Ed Salmons, assistant manager at the Westgate SuperBook. "This week, it's all Alabama."
The over/under on the national championship game, which opened as high as 48, was down to 45 at most sportsbooks as of Sunday night.
Alabama heads into Monday as a 3.5- or 4-point favorite over Georgia in an all-SEC championship game. The Crimson Tide are -180 on the money line.
The betting action during the week leading up to the title game became increasingly lopsided on Alabama at sportsbooks around Las Vegas.
Six of the seven largest point-spread bets placed on the game as of Sunday at sportsbook operator CG Technology were on Alabama, including two $50,000 bets on the Crimson Tide minus the points from the same bettor. CG Technology vice president Jason Simbal said his shop took a six-figure money-line bet on Alabama.
As of Sunday afternoon at William Hill's Nevada sportsbook, 73 percent of the point-spread money and 88 percent of the money-line money was on the Crimson Tide.
"It looks like we're going to be Bulldogs fans," a sportsbook manager for Caesars Palace books told ESPN.
The point spread grew to as high as Alabama -4.5 early last week at the Westgate SuperBook, after a bettor placed a five-figure bet on the Crimson Tide. The line started coming back down across the market later in the week, as Alabama's injury situation was revealed.
Starting right guard Lester Cotton and linebacker Anfernee Jennings have been ruled out for Monday's game, and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is coming back from a kidney injury suffered last week against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl.
The Alabama injuries haven't slowed down the money on the Crimson Tide, though.
"Last week, they wouldn't stop betting Clemson," said Ed Salmons, assistant manager at the Westgate SuperBook. "This week, it's all Alabama."
The over/under on the national championship game, which opened as high as 48, was down to 45 at most sportsbooks as of Sunday night.
