The Alabama Crimson Tide are two wins away from an immaculate season and defending the title they won a year ago. They can make a step closer to a title repeat if they take down the Oklahoma Sooners this coming Saturday. The Sooners are the underdogs, but they have the best player in the nation in Kyler Murray. In other words, anything can happen. Going into the 2018 edition of the Orange Bowl the sportsbook favors the Crimson Tide by more than two touchdowns.
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Betting Preview for the Oklahoma Sooners vs Alabama Crimson Tide College Football Orange Bowl Game on December 29 2018
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington
When: Saturday, December 29, 2018, 4:00 PM ET
Line: Oklahoma Sooners (+14) vs Alabama Crimson Tide (-14) – view all 2018 NCAAF lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Oklahoma Sooners (12-1 Overall / 8-1 Conference)
Led by 2018 Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray, the Sooners have lived up to their brand all season long as a high-scoring team that could torch any kind of defense put in front of them. Even in their lone setback thus far, a 48-45 neutral-location loss to the Texas Longhorns on Oct. 7, the Sooners’ offense managed to stand out. Oklahoma is the highest-scoring team in the nation, as they are averaging 49.5 points per game. Murray’s ability to make things happen either with his arm or legs is exactly the same quality that made Nick Saban sweat bullets before, when he had to deal with talented opposing dual threat quarterbacks like Johnny Manziel and Deshaun Watson. On the season, Murray has 4.53 passing yards and 40 touchdowns against just seven interceptions. He also has 892 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns on 7.3 yards per carry.
The over is 4-1 in the Sooners’ last five games overall.
Betting on the Alabama Crimson Tide (13-0 Overall / 8-0 Conference)
There’s nothing surprising that’ll happen in the Orange Bowl if Alabama wins because the Crimson Tide has spent the entire season building their reputation as an unbeatable unit. However, there are point of concerns for this powerhouse, such as the health of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is still dealing with a hurting ankle. The good thing for Alabama is that it has a backup plan in the form of Jalen Hurts, who knows how to win and showed that he’s always ready to step up and perform when called upon. Hurts was instrumental in the Crimson Tide’s 35-28 win over No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC title game in which he filled in for Tagovailoa mid-game. Plus, Alabama should have success regardless of who starts for the team, as Oklahoma’s defense has been a wasteland this year. The Sooners are allowing 32.4 points per outing. Alabama’s defense will be under the microscope as it faces perhaps its biggest test of the year. Alabama’s stop unit is nearly impenetrable, ranking fourth in the nation with 14.7 points allowed and seventh with just 298.0 total yards surrendered per contest.
Alabama went 8-5 against the spread (ATS) this season, having gone 5-2 ATS in its last seven games.
Writer’s Prediction
Alabama wins, 44-29.
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