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David Purdum
The betting action on the College Football Playoff championship shifted over the weekend, with a surge of respected money coming in on the Miami Hurricanes and causing the point spread to move toward the underdog Hurricanes.
The Indiana Hoosiers, despite attracting the bulk of the money wagered on the game, dropped from 8.5- to 7.5-point favorites Sunday at sportsbooks across the U.S. Multiple bookmakers said «sharp money» came in on the Hurricanes on Sunday afternoon, around 3 p.m. ET, causing the line to drop across the betting market.
John Murray, a veteran Las Vegas bookmaker at the Westgate SuperBook, said sharp money showed up on Miami late in the week at his shop.
«I get it,» Murray said. «The line on an Indiana-Miami game would have been nowhere near this number all season. Miami would have likely been favored in this game most of the year, actually.»
Oregon, sportsbooks re-opened the Hoosiers as 7.5-point favorites over the Hurricanes in the national championship game. The early action was extremely lopsided on Indiana, pushing the line up to -8.5, where it sat for most of last week. That changed on Sunday.
«Some sharper money has shown up on Miami, both on the money line and the spread,» Joey Feazel, head of football for Caesars Sportsbook, told ESPN. «We still expect Indiana support to build as we get closer to kickoff.»
The College Football Playoff championship kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday at Hard Rock Stadium, the Hurricanes’ home field. Hard Rock Bet, Florida’s only licensed bookmaker, said a Miami upset would produce the most successful outcome for its customers in the sportsbook’s history. The betting interest on Indiana-Miami was on pace to become the fourth-most-heavily-bet game at Hard Rock Bet, behind the previous two Super Bowls and last season’s AFC Championship Game, the sportsbook said.
«An underdog, the biggest game of the year, and the most polarizing team in Florida — all playing out in our backyard. Love them or hate them, The U has created a perfect storm,» Neil Walsh, senior vice president of Hard Rock Bet sportsbook, said in a company release. «Our players have backed this team’s championship potential all season, and a Miami win would ignite a massive celebration, including what we project to be the largest single-day payout in Hard Rock Bet history,»
Both teams have overcome long odds to reach the championship. Indiana could be found at 200-1 to win the national title during the offseason at some sportsbooks. The Hoosiers began the season at 100-1 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Hurricanes were 100-1 to win the title in the hours ahead of the playoff selection and were underdogs to even get into the field. According to odds archive SportsOddsHistory.com, Indiana would be the longest preseason long shot to win the national championship since 2001, as far back as the website has data.
Miami was a +260 underdog to win the game outright Monday, with the Hoosiers listed as -325 favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook.
