2025 College Football Playoff first-round odds, prediction: Oklahoma vs. Alabama picks by proven expert
SportsLine expert Thomas Casale reveals his picks has revealed his Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Oklahoma Sooners picks for Friday's 2025 College Football Playoff first-round matchup
The ninth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide will look to turn the tables on the eighth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners when they meet Friday in the first round of the 2025 College Football Playoff. Oklahoma earned a 23-21 win in the Nov. 15 matchup in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The Crimson Tide (10-3), who are coming off a 28-7 loss to Georgia in the SEC title game on Dec. 6, have split their last four games. The Sooners (10-2), who finished the regular season with a 17-13 win over LSU on Nov. 29, have won four in a row.
Kickoff from Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium is at 8 p.m. ET. Oklahoma leads the all-time series 5-1, with Alabama's lone win coming in a 45-34 victory in 2018. The Sooners are 1.5-point favorites in the latest Alabama vs. Oklahoma odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 40.5 via SportsLine consensus. Before making any Oklahoma vs. Alabama picks, be sure to check out the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Thomas Casale.
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A frequent guest on national radio and TV shows to discuss college sports, Casale has been sports betting -- and winning -- for more than 30 years.
Now, he has turned his attention to the Alabama vs. Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff bracket and is sharing his top betting picks. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the college football odds for the Alabama vs. Oklahoma matchup:
Alabama vs. Oklahoma spread | Oklahoma -1.5 |
Alabama vs. Oklahoma over/under | 40.5 points |
Alabama vs. Oklahoma money line | Oklahoma -114, Alabama -105 |
Alabama vs. Oklahoma picks | |
Alabama vs. Oklahoma streaming | Fubo (Try for free) |
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Why Alabama can cover
Junior quarterback Ty Simpson was named to the All-SEC Second Team by The Associated Press and league coaches. He ranked second in the SEC and 12th nationally with 26 touchdown passes. He also ranked second in the conference and 13th nationally with 3,268 yards passing, an average of 251.4 yards per game. In the November meeting with Oklahoma, he completed 28 of 42 passes for 326 yards and one touchdown and one interception.
Also helping power the offense is junior wide receiver Isaiah Horton. In 12 games this season, he has 35 receptions for 430 yards (12.3 average) and a team-high eight touchdowns. In a 27-20 win over Auburn on Nov. 29, he caught five passes for 35 yards and three touchdowns. In the game against the Sooners, he caught three passes for 56 yards, including a long of 26. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why Oklahoma can cover
Redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer, who transferred from Washington State this past January, has completed 221 of 356 passes (62%) for 2,578 yards and 12 touchdowns. He is also the Sooners' third-leading rusher with 416 yards with a team-high seven rushing touchdowns. In a 33-27 win at Tennessee on Nov. 1, he completed 19 of 29 passes for 159 yards, while rushing 16 times for 80 yards and one touchdown. In the win over LSU, he threw for 318 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing eight times for 27 yards.
Freshman Tory Blaylock powers the Oklahoma rushing attack. In 11 games, he has carried 109 times for 444 yards (4.1 average) and four touchdowns. He also has eight receptions for 41 yards. In a 26-7 win at South Carolina on Oct. 18, he carried 19 times for 101 yards (5.3 average) and one touchdown. In a 42-3 win at Temple on Sept. 13, he rushed 14 times for 100 yards and two touchdowns. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Alabama vs. Oklahoma picks
Casale is leaning Under on the total because he sees this game being a "defensive slugfest." He's also isolated a critical x-factor that has him jumping on one side of the spread. See what it is at SportsLine.
Who wins Alabama vs. Oklahoma, and what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Alabama vs. Oklahoma spread you need to jump on Friday, all from the expert with more than 30 years of handicapping experience.
