An incredible college football playoff game first-round matchup takes place on Friday, December 19, when the Alabama Crimson Tide travels to Norman to face the Oklahoma Sooners. Alabama enters the NCAA football playoff game as the No. 11 team in the nation, while Oklahoma is ranked at No. 8. This game is a rematch of a November contest in Alabama. The Sooners won that matchup 23-21, with Alabama committing three turnovers and missing a field goal in the loss.
Alabama has a 10-3 overall record and a 7-1 mark in the SEC for 2025. Besides the loss to Oklahoma, the Crimson Tide fell 31-17 to Florida State in the opening game of the year and 28-7 to Georgia in the SEC Championship game in early December.
Oklahoma is 10-2 overall and 6-2 in the SEC. The Sooners’ losses came in early October when they fell 23-6 to Texas, and later that same month with a 34-26 setback to Ole Miss. The Sooners’ defeats both came at home.
Oklahoma and Alabama have played eight times since 1963. The Sooners have the edge with a 5-2-1 record. The Crimson Tide’s most recent win came in 2018 on a neutral field in Florida. Since then, Oklahoma is 2-0 against Alabama.
| Teams |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | -113 | -115 | -115 |
| Oklahoma | -107 | -105 | -105 |
| Crimson Tide -1 | -110 | -105 | -110 |
| Sooners +1 | -110 | -115 | -110 |
| Over 40.5 Points | -110 | -105 | -110 |
| Under 40.5 Points | -110 | -115 | -110 |
With the 2025 NCAA football season winding down, be sure to check out our NCAAF playoff betting guide, as well as our betting picks to win the NCAA Football National Championship in 2025.
Alabama did not have a great game against Georgia in the SEC Championship game, finishing with 212 yards passing on 39 attempts and -3 yards rushing on 16 carries. However, expect the Crimson Tide to put that loss behind them, as they have historically bounced back after defeats.
One consideration from that game was that Alabama was missing 10 starters due to injury. That is something to watch ahead of Friday’s game against Oklahoma.
Alabama had the numbers in the first game between these teams in 2025, dominating in passing yards (326 vs. 138), rushing yards (80 vs. 74), and time of possession. However, they lost the game because Oklahoma forced three turnovers, including a pick-six.
Expect Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson to examine everything about the loss to Oklahoma and to come out on Friday with a different game plan. However, much of what Simpson can do will depend on his offensive line. If they cannot hold back the Sooners’ defense, Simpson will once again have limited time to create.
Oklahoma pulled out the win over Alabama earlier this year with one of the team’s best defensive players, R Mason Thomas, on the sidelines because of a quad injury. Thomas has not played since the team’s Nov. 1 win over Tennessee. At the time of his injury, Thomas was leading the team in sacks with 6.5. Despite his injury, he finished the season with the most sacks on the club. He is questionable for Friday’s game. Without Thomas, the Sooners had five sacks against Alabama. If he plays, look for that number to increase.
The Sooners went 6-7 last year, but still beat the Crimson Tide 24-3. Head coach Brent Venables seems to have all the answers on the defensive side of the ball against Alabama.
Oklahoma was not a great offensive team in 2025. They were the fifth-lowest ranked team in the SEC in yards per game overall (353.7), in the middle of the pack in passing (229.9), and fourth-worst in rushing (123.8). What the team did well on offense was capitalize on explosive plays and turn them into points. Typically, that’s not the route to success, but Oklahoma is in the College Football Playoffs, so it worked for them. Clearly, the defense is the key to the Sooners against Alabama.
The early portion of this game will likely determine the outcome. If Alabama can limit turnovers and take time off the clock, the game is theirs to lose. If Oklahoma can make the game ugly, force turnovers, capitalize on opportunities on offense, and dominate on defense, the game is theirs to win.
The betting pick is for Kalen DeBoer to figure out a game plan and to get the win. Alabama will beat Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff in 2025.
The betting pick is for the Crimson Tide to cover against the Sooners.
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