The 2025-26 College Football Playoffs kick off this Friday night in Norman when No. 8 Oklahoma (10-2) looks to show its 23-21 upset win at No. 9 Alabama (10-3) last month was no fluke. It’s the first game in the first round of the CFP with a triple-header to come Saturday.
Let’s look at our best Friday college football bets with the up-to-date odds from top-rated sportsbooks.
Best Bets for Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Oklahoma Sooners
For tonight’s NCAAF picks, we’ve got a good one with some controversy, as some feel Alabama didn’t deserve to make the tournament at all after losing for a third time in the SEC Championship Game to Georgia by a wide margin (28-7). But the Crimson Tide is here again to represent the SEC.
The Oklahoma Sooners haven’t been lighting up the scoreboard, but still bring a 10-2 record into this one with their only losses to quality teams like Texas (23-6) and Ole Miss (34-26). But expectations are for a low-scoring affair here.
Friday Night Odds (Oklahoma -1)
This matchup has seen a lot of small line movement that could still be significant to bettors. The Sooners opened as a 1.5-point home favorite, but that line has also been Alabama -1.5 in the last week, it’s been a pick’em, and it’s currently showing Oklahoma -1. It was 23-21 when they met in November, with Oklahoma kicking a game-winning field goal early in the 4th quarter, so expectations are for a very tight game. Five of the last six games for Oklahoma have been decided by one score.
The total has come down from 40.5 to 39.5 points as it aims to be the lowest in the brief history of the CFP. But this is a reaction to Alabama losing 28-7 in the SEC title game, and the way the Oklahoma offense hasn’t generated more than 17 points in the last few games.
Friday Night Picks (Alabama +1)
For our Friday night prediction, we’re backing Alabama to show it does belong in this tournament and to avenge its previous loss to Oklahoma. In that game, the Crimson Tide outgained the Sooners 406-212 in yards, but they lost 23-21 because they lost the turnover battle 3-0, including an early pick-six returned 87 yards by Eli Brown that gave the Sooners a 10-0 lead.
But Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, bad SEC Championship Game aside, has been playing better down the stretch than John Mateer, who had thumb surgery in October, has for the Sooners. Neither team could run the ball on the other last time, and Mateer hasn’t been as dangerous of a runner since the surgery.
That’s why we’re going to trust Simpson to have the bigger day moving the ball with his talented receivers, and the Crimson Tide will find a way to win a tight, low-scoring battle on the road and advance to the next round.
Alabama’s Ty Simpson (Over 239.5 Passing Yards)
For a top player prop in this game, we’re focused on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson going over 239.5 passing yards. It’s a line he has surpassed in 8-of-13 games this season, including 326 yards against the Sooners on November 15. That game was far from a shootout, and Alabama only rushed for 80 yards on 33 plays too, so it’s out of necessity that they throw here with their talented wideouts.
Oklahoma has the No. 7 scoring defense, but it’s especially stingy at stopping the run, holding teams to 81.4 yards and 2.5 yards per carry. The Sooners allow 192.2 passing yards per game, but Simpson is one of the best quarterbacks they’ll see (again) all season, and he’s already had success at moving the ball on them. Just needs to protect it better.
Place Your Friday Night College Football Bets!
For your Friday college football bets, our top game is the CFP first round matchup between Oklahoma and Alabama, where we like Alabama to cover the tight 1-point spread on the road. We also like Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson to go over 239.5 passing yards again.
Timing is a major part of sports betting success. You’ll want to stay on top of the latest line movement, and there’s no better way to do that than to keep an eye on the live NCAAF odds.
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*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.