Alabama vs. Oklahoma predictions and college football picks. John Mateer leads the Sooners to the second round of the CFP.
Don't doubt Oklahoma. While the Sooners are underdogs, that shouldn't be the case, and John Mateer while prove doubters wrong against Alabama.The College Football Playoff kicks off with the best matchup of the first round, where the Oklahoma Sooners will battle the Alabama Crimson Tide on Friday, December 19.
This is a rematch of a Nov. 15 meeting in Tuscaloosa in which the Sooners edged the Tide 23-21 as 6.5-point road underdogs. This time, they meet in Norman, and while the Sooners are still underdogs, their confidence is high that they can put on a repeat performance with a spot in the CFP quarterfinals on the line.I'm picking the Oklahoma Sooners. While John Mateer has had his ups and downs, he's still a baller. But most importantly, Oklahoma has arguably the best defense in the country, going against an Alabama Crimson Tide team that hasn't looked good since the calendar read October.Oklahoma earned the first-round home playoff game by going 10-2, which included a 23-21 win over Alabama in Tuscaloosa back on November 15. John Mateer powers this Sooners offense. The dual-threat QB threw for 2,578 yards with 12 touchdowns while adding another 416 yards and seven scores on the ground. Those numbers tell you he’s battled his consistency ever since having surgery on his throwing thumb earlier in the season. But when Mateer is on, the Sooners are hard to beat. The Sooners ranked second in defensive success rate, third in opponent EPA per play, and second in sack rate. And they gave Ty Simpson and the Crimson Tide loads of problems, sacking him four times, forcing three fumbles, and one interception. Now, Simpson and this passing attack got Bama here, but the one-dimensional nature of this offense has limited the Tide, particularly in a matchup against a good defense like the Sooners.The Tide got steamrolled by Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. They needed some fourth-quarter heroics to beat Auburn. And they lost to this Oklahoma team at home two weeks before. Even before that OU loss, the offense sputtered against LSU and needed another fourth-quarter comeback to beat South Carolina. Alabama is getting overrated because of its name. I think the wrong team is favored and am taking Oklahoma to win outright on the moneyline. It’s hard not to be a fan of Mateer. He’s the type of guy who will run through a brick wall for his team, and he knows Oklahoma is the most dangerous when he can effectively run the football. He scored two touchdowns in a big early-season meeting against Michigan and found the end zone in must-win games against Tennessee and Alabama. We are getting a great price for him to score here, so let's add it to the SGP. And nothing goes with scoring touchdowns like Overs. Now, this is a matchup of two excellent defenses, but this total of 40.5 is a touch too low. Alabama has played Over this number in seven of nine SEC games, while the handful of times Oklahoma faced off against good offensive teams , those games ended up going above this number as well.You want a long shot? How about a four-leg anytime touchdown parlay in a game with a total of 40.5? We’re already on Mateer, but let’s add his most dynamic receiver in Isaiah Sategna. Meanwhile, I think Germie Bernard and Josh Cuevas will be Simpson’s most likely scoring targets.Oklahoma has hit the 1Q Moneyline in 9 of their last 13 games for +5.20 Units and a 8% ROI. Find more: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links. When his dreams of becoming the next Steve Nash died, all Andrew"Taco" Caley wanted to do was write about sports, something he's been doing at Covers for more than a decade. A Journalism School grad from Holland College in Charlottetown, PEI, Andrew previously worked at The Chronicle Herald and Star Metro, but knew in his heart that his future lay in sports. He began at Covers as a news editor and has now done everything under the sun when it comes to content. His work has been seen on TSN, Sportsnet, VSiN, and CBS. These days Andrew's betting expertise is focused on his favorite teams; the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Raptors. He's also an avid college football fan and bettor. He can't be friends with you if you don't appreciate a Service Academy Under. The sportsbook where he does the bulk of his betting is bet365 thanks to its numerous prop betting options and competitive odds. His best advice? Find the balance between the numbers and what you see on the playing field. Then find the best price using multiple books. And don’t ask him where the nickname Taco comes from. It's not an interesting story. Seriously.Miami vs Texas A&M Player Props & Best Bets for CFP First RoundMissouri State vs Arkansas State Prediction, Picks & Odds for December 18 — Xbox BowlIf you choose to make use of any information on this website including online sports betting services from any websites that may be featured on this website, we strongly recommend that you carefully check your local laws before doing so.It is your sole responsibility to understand your local laws and observe them strictly.Covers does not provide any advice or guidance as to the legality of online sports betting or other online gambling activities within your jurisdiction and you are responsible for complying with laws that are applicable to you in your relevant locality.Covers disclaims all liability associated with your use of this website and use of any information contained on it.As a condition of using this website, you agree to hold the owner of this website harmless from any claims arising from your use of any services on any third party website that may be featured by Covers.
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