The Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish will battle for college football immortality in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. This is the last opportunity to wager on college football for seven months, so don’t miss out on our best national championship prop bets.
College Football National Championship Player Props
Emeka Egbuka Over 57.5 Receiving Yards (-114, FanDuel)
Emeka Egbuka took a back seat to freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith this year, but he’s still a lethal option from the slot. In the College Football Playoff alone, Egbuka has hauled in 15 of 19 targets for 204 yards and a score.
That’s an average of 68 yards per game, and we add in the final regular-season contests against Indiana (90 yards) and Michigan (51), Egbuka’s average drops by only one. With Notre Dame DC Al Golden likely keying on Smith and starting CB1 Leonard Moore across from him, Ohio State OC will need to get creative in the passing game.
MORE: CFN Betting Parlay Calculator
That should mean more Egbuka, and although Notre Dame DB Jordan Clark is an experienced sixth-year player, he isn’t exactly a lockdown defender.
Plus, the Irish haven’t been tested much in the secondary, with Indiana (Elijah Sarratt, Myles Price, and Ke’Shawn Williams), Georgia (Arian Smith, Dominic Lovett, and Dillon Bell), and Penn State (Harrison Wallace III, Omari Evans, and Liam Clifford) struggling to move the ball through their WRs. That won’t be the case for Ohio State.
Aneyas Williams Over 26.5 Receiving Yards (-114, FanDuel)
Jeremiyah Love has battled a knee injury throughout the CFP, but I expect him to receive his usual workload in the final game of the season. That could mean limited reps for Aneyas Williams, but I believe he’s earned a larger role in the offense’s game plan.
Since the first round, Williams is third on the team in targets (12) and has seven more than the rest of the backs combined (5). He’s coming off a five-reception, 66-yard outing against the Penn State Nittany Lions, and Ohio State may bring similar defensive looks.
The Buckeyes have suffocated outside weapons, forcing checkdowns and halfback options/rails/Texas routes. In the Cotton Bowl, Texas RBs Jaydon Blue and Quintrevion Wisner combined for 11 catches, 109 yards, and two TDs.
Oregon’s Noah Whittington and Jordan James (who got hurt in the first half) combined for six catches and 37 yards. And the leading pass catcher in the Penn State game was Nicholas Singleton (6 for 54).
Riley Leonard Over 14.5 Rushing Attempts (-114, FanDuel)
Riley Leonard ran 11 times vs. Indiana, 14 times vs. Georgia, and 18 times vs. Penn State. Notice a trend? The Notre Dame offense has relied heavily on its QB’s legs to move the chains and force defenses into advantageous looks.
However, there are two more reasons why Leonard should fly over this mark:
- Sacks count as rush attempts in college football. Leonard could suffer multiple with starting LT Anthonie Knapp out with an ankle injury and Ohio State boasting two effective EDGEs in Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau.
- Even if they don’t get home, the outside pressure should force Leonard into scramble mode, and with his athleticism, he should look to run instead of pass on the move.
That’s not even considering short-yardage situations, where the Irish often utilize Leonard on sneaks and QB power runs.
Will Howard Over 245.5 Passing Yards (-114, FanDuel)
How about a correlation bet to go along with Egbuka? If the WR goes over his receiving prop, there’s a strong probability Will Howard goes over his passing yards prop.
He’s thrown for 289 yards or more in all three CFP games thus far, and it’s not as if those teams were weak against the pass.
MORE: Who Wins in Our Ohio State vs. Notre Dame Prediction?
Passing yards allowed per game entering the playoff:
- Texas Longhorns: 143.1, 1st
- Oregon Ducks: 176.3, 10th
- Tennessee Volunteers: 181.0, (15th
Although Notre Dame entered third (157.9 YPG) and has since moved into second (165.3), the secondary played an over-its-head Indiana squad, a Carson Beck-less Georgia team, and a Penn State program that’s struggled to win on the outside all year. Ohio State’s a different animal, and I expect Howard to capitalize.
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