Alabama opens as road favorite over Oklahoma in College Football Playoff
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The College Football Playoff bracket was revealed Sunday, with the 12-team field now being set to play out over the course of the next month and a half.
With matchups, dates, times and locations now set, opening betting lines for Round One’s slate of games have been released.
And when Alabama visits Oklahoma in Norman for a clash between the No. 9 and No. 8 seeds respectively, it is the Crimson Tide that will potentially be the favorites.
Despite the Sooners’ statement 23-21 win in Tuscaloosa back on Nov. 15, DraftKings set the opening line at Alabama -1.5.
The betting total for the game has been placed at 41.5 as well, fitting for what figures to be another defensive grudge match between two sides that have struggled on the other side of the ball in recent weeks.
Alabama is fresh off perhaps its worth offensive performance of the season. Ty Simpson & Co. struggled to manufacture much of a rhythm against Georgia‘s revitalized defense on Saturday, leading to a season-low in points and a tough loss to swallow entering the postseason.
And for Oklahoma, explosive plays have saved the Sooners from dropping even more than 2 games this season. Brent Venables‘ defense ranks among the best in the nation in most categories, but John Mateer and the offense will need to find a groove if this team is to advance.
Oklahoma and Alabama will open the 2025-2026 CFP when they clash on Friday, Dec. 19, at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the game being broadcast by ABC.
Parker is currently the sports editor for the Enterprise-Journal in McComb, Mississippi. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
