Alabama vs Oklahoma 2018 Orange Bowl Odds & Pick

Two of the best quarterbacks in the history of college football will square off on Saturday night as Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray leads the Oklahoma offense and Alabama sophomore Tua Tagovailoa brings the Alabama offense to the field. Both quarterbacks currently have passer efficiency ratings over 200 — and no quarterback in college football history has ever finished a season with a rating that high. The two high-octane units square off as top seed Alabama meets fourth-seeded Oklahoma in one of Saturday’s College Football Playoff semifinals. Why is this line so gargantuan, given that Oklahoma has only failed to hit 37 points in one game this season? There is that Sooner defense, that gave up to 40 points to lowly Kansas — at home. That unit gave up 56 points to West Virginia — although it did score two defensive touchdowns in a three-point win. It gave up 46 points to Texas Tech in a five-point win. Can the Sooners even stay within shouting distance of the Tide? Check out our NCAAF betting preview on this prime-time playoff matchup.

Alabama vs Oklahoma 2018 Orange Bowl Odds & Pick

When: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 8:00pm ET Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami TV: ESPN Radio: ESPN Radio Live Stream: WatchESPN 2018 Orange Bowl Odds: Alabama -14 O/U 79

Why should you bet on the Crimson Tide?

Oklahoma has permitted almost 3,800 yards of passing this season and 24 touchdown passes to the opposition, intercepting just six passes. Those numbers include a game against Army when the Black Knights barely threw the ball at all. Alabama has a completion percentage of 68% and averages more than 11 yards per passing attempt. And if Tagovailoa’s ankle gives way again, there’s Jalen Hurts waiting on the sideline — and we saw him direct that thrilling comeback win over Georgia in the SEC Championship. Imagine what Tagovailoa and Hurts will be able to do against the second-worst passing defense in the nation. There’s also the Alabama running game. They have run for more than 200 yards in seven different games this season, including a 281-yard effort against a vaunted LSU front seven. Army ran for 339 yards on Oklahoma. Kansas, not known for their offensive ran for prowess, rumbled for 348 yards. When it comes to turnovers, Alabama committed just 13 on the season (although six of those happened in the last four games). However, Oklahoma had just 11 takeaways on the year and just one pick in their last six games. So even if Oklahoma can score on Alabama, will it be enough to keep up?

Why should you put your money on the Sooners?

As dominant as Alabama has been in recent years, they have had difficulties playing teams with outstanding quarterbacks. Deshaun Watson showed us that in the 2016 national championship. Johnny Manziel led Texas A&M to an upset in Tuscaloosa and almost beat them again in 2013, leading the Aggies to 42 points. Chad Kelly guided Ole Miss to an upset win over the Tide. Jake Fromm has almost led Georgia to signature wins over Alabama in the last two seasons, but the defensive collapses by the Bulldogs let the Tide escape. Kyler Murray has only been sacked 16 times in 364 passing attempts and should have time to work against the Tide. Marquise Brown went down to injury in the Big 12 Championship but should be ready for Saturday. The Oklahoma running game is also solid, as Kennedy Brooks and Trey Sermon combined for almost 2,000 yards and 24 scores — and they were the backups to Rodney Anderson, who was the starter before going down to injury. If you like the Sooners, you think their video-game offense will make it to the end zone enough against Alabama to deliver a win — or at the very least, a cover.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction for the 2018 Orange Bowl

We saw in the SEC Championship that it is possible to score on the Tide if you have talent and balance. Georgia had that talent but then had mental lapses late (including that ridiculous fake-punt call) that let Alabama get away with a win. I see Oklahoma hanging around with Alabama, but I also see the Tide winning late by a score of Alabama 48, Oklahoma 42.