Alabama vs. Oklahoma Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for College Football Playoff First Round

The Crimson Tide are in danger of losing their third consecutive meeting with the Sooners.

Ty Simpson and Alabama are favored against Oklahoma on Friday. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The College Football Playoffs are approaching fast and two SEC powerhouses will face off at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Friday. No. 9 Alabama will visit No. 8 Oklahoma in the first round of the postseason as a 1.5-point favorite. Evening up the season series could be challenging for the Crimson Tide.

The Sooners wrapped up the regular season by rattling off four straight wins. That streak included victories over Alabama and Tennessee. The Sooners were underdogs in both of those contests, but found ways to grind out wins.

Alabama's Ty Simpson will likely need to follow up his least accurate game of the season with a strong performance against the SEC’s top run defense for the Crimson Tide to finish on top.

Here’s our full betting breakdown ahead of kickoff.

Alabama vs. Oklahoma Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

• Alabama: -1.5 (-108)
• Oklahoma: +1.5 (-112)

Moneyline

• Alabama: -118
• Oklahoma: -102

Total: 40.5 (Over -105/Under -115)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Alabama vs. Oklahoma How to Watch

• Date: Saturday, December 19
• Game Time: 8:00 PM EST
• Venue: Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
• How to Watch (TV): ABC
• Alabama Record: 10-3
• Oklahoma Record: 10-2

Alabama vs. Oklahoma Key Players to Watch

Alabama

Ty Simpson: Simpson competed a season-low 48.7 percent of his passes in his regular-season finale against No. 3 Georgia. That was far from the norm for the Alabama signal-caller. Only Tennessee’s Joey Aguilar threw for more yards (3,268) than Simpson in the SEC this year and only No. 14 Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia could top his mark of 26 touchdown passes. He torched the Sooners with 326 yards through the air the last time he faced them.

Oklahoma

John Mateer: Mateer has been up-and-down throwing the football this year with 12 passing touchdowns and 10 picks. His arm was more effective in the first half of the season, before he suffered an injury on his throwing hand that required surgery. While Mateer is turnover prone, he eclipsed 300 passing yards for this season in his regular-season finale against LSU. He’s in for a test against the SEC’s top pass defense, but can be effective with his legs as well and has rushed for seven touchdowns this season.

Alabama vs. Oklahoma Prediction and Pick

Both of these teams are a little better than .500 against the spread, but Alabama has struggled to cover on the road while Oklahoma has had trouble getting the job done on its own turf. However, the defenses in this matchup could make betting on the total interesting. 

The UNDER is 6-0 in Alabama’s games against ranked opponents this season thanks to its elite secondary. Oklahoma has been able to set the tone and keep the score on the lower side at home, as the UNDER is 6-1 in games the Sooners have hosted this season.

Both teams have a top-tier specialization on defense and tension will run high in this win-or-go-home matchup.  

PICK: Under 40.5 (-115 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

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