In the Capital One Orange Bowl, the No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners are big underdogs as they prepare to battle the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide. The game is scheduled to commence at 8:00 p.m. ET and interested parties can catch the action live on ESPN.
Oklahoma Sooners vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Betting Preview
Oklahoma is playing the role of underdog and is currently getting 14 points in this game. The Sooners are also receiving +500 moneyline odds while the Crimson Tide are -735. Vegas has set the over/under (O/U) sky-high at 82 points, and should one team can catch a lucky break early, it’ll likely lead to a decent betting opportunity in-game.
The game’s over/under was initially set at 79, but early action has been shifting toward the over.
Each team has been profitable this season as the Sooners have gained 3.0 units and the Crimson Tide are up 2.0 units.
The unblemished Sooners are 12-1 straight up (SU) in 2018 while the Crimson Tide are 13-0 SU.
The Sooners are coming off a resounding 39-27 victory over Texas on December 1. The passing game was on point as Kyler Murray completed 25-of-34 passes for 379 yards and three touchdowns. Trey Sermon (65 yards on 18 rush attempts, one TD) and the signal-caller Murray (39 yards on 10 carries) led the running attack. CeeDee Lamb (six receptions, 167 yards, one TD) and Marquise Brown (five catches, 54 yards) shared the receiving duties in the win.
Alabama is coming off of a 35-28 win over Georgia. As a group, the team collectively completed 17-of-34 passes for 246 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Tua Tagovailoa went 10-for-25 for 164 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions while Jalen Hurts was seven-of-nine for 82 yards and one touchdown. Damien Harris (52 yards on nine rush attempts) and Josh Jacobs (83 yards on eight carries, two TDs) spearheaded the running game as Jaylen Waddle (four receptions, 113 yards, one TD) and Henry Ruggs III (three catches, 49 yards) led the pass-catching attack in the win.
Each squad has a similar run-pass ratio on the season. Oklahoma’s run the ball on 57.6 percent of its offensive possessions while Alabama has a rush percentage of 56.8. Having said that, the Sooners have run for 254 yards per game and have 40 touchdowns on the ground this year. The Tide haven’t been quite as successful, as they’re putting up 202 rushing yards per game and have 31 total rush TDs.
The Sooners offense has averaged 324 yards through the air overall and has 41 passing scores so far. The Tide have produced 325 pass yards per game and have 46 total pass TDs.
On the defensive side of the ball, Oklahoma has allowed 157 rush yards and 291 pass yards per game. The Alabama defense has allowed 178.4 yards per game to opposing passers and 117.0 yards per game to opposing runners. The Tide are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 4.06 to opponents, while the Sooners have given up a 7.82 ANY/A.
Offensively, Murray is already up to 3,689 passing yards this year, and has completed 71 percent of his 313 attempts with 37 passing scores and only six interceptions. He has a 12.41 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 12.90 over the last two outings.
Tua Tagovailoa has completed 174-of-262 passes for 3,029 yards, 32 TDs and four INTs for Alabama. His ANY/A sits at 12.51 for the season and 8.12 across his past two games.
NCAA Pick: Oklahoma Sooners vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
SU Winner – Alabama, ATS Winner – Alabama, O/U – Under
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Notes
Team Betting Notes
Alabama has lost seven fumbles this season while Oklahoma has lost six.
The Alabama defense has notched 42 sacks on the year while Oklahoma has just 28.
As a team, Oklahoma has rushed for 6.2 yards per attempt across its past three games and 5.6 over its last two.
Alabama has averaged 6.0 yards per carry over its last three outings and 5.1 over its last two.
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