The Alabama Crimson Tide will be looking to book their ticket to the College Football Playoff national championship game for the sixth time in seven years when they take on the Cincinnati Bearcats on Friday night in the Cotton Bowl as 13.5-point favourites on the college football odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Alabama vaulted to the top spot in the rankings with a decisive 41-24 win over previously top-ranked Georgia in this season's SEC Championship Game, and now rides a seven-game straight-up win streak into Friday's matchup at AT&T Stadium.
The Crimson Tide also kick off this season's College Football Playoff set atop the national championship futures, narrowly edging out the Bulldogs as +120 chalk. However, Alabama has struggled to produce consistent results at the sportsbooks, where they have covered just twice in their past five outings. That includes a 1-3 against the spread run in their past four as double-digit betting favourites.
The Bearcats make their first ever CFP appearance after closing out their regular season with an unblemished 13-0 SU record and a second straight AAC conference championship. Cincinnati has also recovered nicely from a midseason four-game ATS losing streak by covering in its past three outings, while outscoring opponents by a wide 118-47 margin.
However, the Bearcats enter their first date with the Crimson Tide since 1990 sporting an 0-4 SU all-time record in head-to-head action, with each of those losses coming by double-digit margins.
In the second half of Friday's CFP doubleheader, the Bulldogs will be trying to rebound from their loss to Alabama as they take on the Michigan Wolverines in the Orange Bowl as 7.5-point favourites at sports betting sites. Georgia's recent defeat put the brakes on a 16-game SU win streak that dated back to November 2020. Set at No. 3 in the rankings, the Bulldogs have powered their campaign with spectacular defence, limiting opponents to a nation-leading 9.5 points per game. However, they have struggled to meet lofty expectations of late, covering in just three of their past seven outings.
The Wolverines make their first ever CFP appearance riding a five-game SU and ATS win streak. The Michigan offence has been particularly explosive in recent weeks, averaging 47.7 points per game over their past three outings, sparking a steady 3-0 run for the OVER in totals betting. However, the Wolverines have work to do to halt a four-game SU and ATS slide in bowl game appearances, capped by a decisive 35-16 loss to Alabama in the Citrus Bowl two years ago.
