The Cotton Bowl is not just a College Football Playoff Game. It is a battle of two outstanding quarterbacks. First, Bryce Young is the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner. Young triggered Alabama’s impressive SEC Championship Game win over Georgia. The second is Desmond Ridder of Cincinnati. Ridder is a record-setting veteran that has led the College Football betting transformation of the UC program. Both signal-callers are versatile with the perfect combination of running and passing ability. Cincinnati has made history as the first Group of Five programs to make the College Football Playoff.
2021 College Football Playoff: Cotton Bowl Alabama vs. Cincinnati
| Date and Time: | Friday, December 31, 2021, 3:30 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Goodyear Cotton Bowl, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas |
| Cincinnati vs. Alabama TV Coverage: | ESPN |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | +13½ (-110) | 57½ (-110) | +380 |  |
| Alabama | -13½ (-110) | 57½ (-110) | -475 | |
| ||||
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Cincinnati vs. Alabama SBG Odds Overview
On this occasion, we have an Alabama team that is one of the most public brands on the board. Casual money is going to flow in on the Crimson Tide. Despite being college football’s ultimate name brand, Alabama holds good online betting value. Meanwhile, Cincinnati carries the stigma of being a Group of Five programs from the American Athletic Conference. That is a tough sell to squares. But Wise Guys are just as hesitant to step into Alabama with such a team.
Alabama Crimson Tide Team Overview
In the SEC Championship Game, Alabama beat Georgia 41-24 as 6-point dogs. Also, the matchup cleared the total of 48.5. Now, Alabama stands at 12-1 straight up, 7-6 against the spread, and 7-6 over/under. The Crimson Tide has national metrics of 6th for offense and 4th for scoring. And then on defense, Alabama has NCAAF metrics of 7th overall and 20th for points allowed.
Of course, head coach Nick Saban is the face of the Alabama dynasty. Saban has led the Crimson Tide to six national championships. Gamblers usually regret betting against the GOAT of College Football Coaches. Indeed the Alabama win over Georgia was a painful reminder of the risk of betting against the Crimson Tide.
Cincinnati Bearcats Team Overview
In the American Conference Championship Game, Cincinnati beat Houston 35-20 as 10.5-point home favorites. Further, the game snuck over a total of 52. To summarize, Cincinnati is 13-0 straight up, 8-5 against the spread, and 6-7 over/under. NCAAF metrics show Cincinnati ranks 45th for total offense and 8th for scoring offense. While on defense, the Bearcats rank 8th overall and 5th for points allowed.
Head coach Like Fickell has engineered a remarkable transformation at Cincinnati. Since taking over in 2017, Fickell has flipped the UC script from being an also-ran to national power. In fact, Cincinnati is so attractive that they will be joining the Power Five Big 12 Conference.
For several years, the Group of Five has campaigned hard for a shot at the College Football Playoff. That is one of the reasons why the CFP is likely to expand in the coming years. Still, Cincinnati needed everything to break their way to get in.
Goodyear Cotton Bowl SBG Free Picks
In this situation, Alabama brings a championship pedigree and a loaded roster of top recruits. To be exact, Cincinnati is at a distinct College Football Betting disadvantage with its comparative lack of depth.
Cotton Bowl SBG Best Bet: Alabama Crimson Tide.