Oklahoma vs Alabama Predictions: 3 Player Props and Best Bet for Friday, December 19

The NCAA College Football Playoff begins with a banger, featuring a rematch between the No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide (10-3) heading to Oklahoma to face the No. 8 Sooners (10-2) on Friday night.

Heading into November, Alabama was in the running for the top playoff ranking despite dropping their first game to Florida State. But a 23-21 loss to the Sooners last month was followed by a 28-7 drubbing in the SEC Championship game by Georgia, making the Crimson Tide one of the last at-large berths in this year’s field.

Oklahoma’s schedule was brutal, but the Sooners managed to rebound from an October swoon by winning their final four games. In total, the SEC school played six contests against ranked opponents in 2025.

Can the Sooners repeat against the Crimson Tide on Friday, winning a playoff game in Norman? We’ll cover that and provide bettors with our top three player props for Friday’s college football playoff first-round contest.

Alabama Crimson Tide QB Ty Simpson OVER 240.5 Passing Yards

Quarterback Ty Simpson was considered a potential Heisman candidate last month when Alabama was 8-1 and ranked fourth in the country. Despite losing two of their final three games, the Crimson Tide had a productive season with the 6-foot-2 junior under center; he completed over 64 percent of his passes for 3,268 yards, 26 touchdowns, and five picks.

That includes his worst game of the year when Simpson piloted Alabama against Georgia in the SEC Championship game. The Bulldogs’ defense created havoc on Alabama’s offensive line, a model Oklahoma will attempt to recreate on Friday.

That certainly wasn’t the case in his original matchup with Oklahoma. Simpson completed 66 percent of his passes for 326 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Expect Simpson to have another strong performance on Friday, covering his passing prop total in this rematch.

Oklahoma Sooners QB John Mateer UNDER 34.5 Rushing Yards

After his hand injury, Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer looked like a different player. He finished the year completing 62 percent of his passes for 2,578 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.

After dominating defenses through the air to start the year, he found more success on the ground against later opponents. Mateer recorded 416 rushing yards on 130 carries, and he had eight or more rushing attempts in his last six games.

Mateer’s ability to cover this spread relies on Alabama’s coverage. Expect the Crimson Tide to limit Oklahoma’s running game, keeping the signal-caller in the pocket instead of running down the field. That will keep Mateer from achieving his rushing prop bet total on Friday.

Alabama Crimson Tide WR Ryan Williams OVER 46.5 Receiving Yards

Analysts predicted sophomore wide receiver Ryan Williams would have a big year for the Crimson Tide. The talented receiver had monster games earlier this year, helping him finish the season with 42 receptions, 631 receiving yards, and four touchdowns.

Later in the season, his production waned. Over the last four contests, he caught nine passes for 136 yards and one touchdown. Alabama needs Williams to have more than 45 receiving yards – his stats against Oklahoma last month – in order to win this game. Expect Simpson to target him early and often, and he’ll finish with at least 50 receiving yards on Friday.

Saturday, September 5 at 12:00 PM	Spread	Money	Total
East Carolina Pirates	+26.5 (-114)	+1600	O 54.5 (-108)
Alabama Crimson Tide	-26.5 (-114)	-4500	U 53.5 (100)

Best Bet: Oklahoma (+1.5)

It’s interesting that the Sooners are 1.5-point underdogs heading into this rematch. The Sooners finished the season with a strong run, including victories against three consecutive ranked opponents.

Alabama enters this game with questions surrounding head coach Kalen DeBoer’s interest level in the Michigan job. While he’s denied any interest in the position, the repeated questions suggest his attention could be on an interesting opportunity.

Even if DeBoer’s focus is squarely on Oklahoma, it’s hard to see the Crimson Tide coming out of this game with a win. Take the Sooners to cover their spread and win this first-round playoff game.