College Football Playoff: Cincinnati vs. Alabama Betting Preview

Three things you should know before betting on Cincinnati-Alabama:

1. Alabama boasts one of the nation’s most prolific offenses: The Crimson Tide were one of only six FBS teams to average more than 495 total yards per game during the 2021 regular season, and they were one of only four FBS schools to score an average of more than 42 points per game. Cincinnati is 8-1 against the spread sInce the start of the 2019 season when facing an opponent that’s averaging at least 450 total yards per game, with the Bearcats having scored an average of 38.2 points while allowing an average of 20.4 points over the nine games. Cincinnati is 9-1 against the spread in that same timeframe when facing an opponent that’s scoring an average of at least 34 points per game.

2. It’s been a tale of three seasons for Cincinnati thus far in 2021. The Bearcats went 5-1 against the spread over their first six straight-up victories with the lone ATS loss having been the team’s 42-7 victory as a 36.5-point home favorite over FCS Murray State in their second game. Cincinnati then failed to cover any of its next four games, three of which were on the road and none of which came against an opponent that ended the regular season with a winning record. The Bearcats then covered each of their past three games, with all three victories having been by more than 14 points despite all three opponents having ended the regular season with winning records. Cincinnati beat SMU, East Carolina and Houston by an average margin of 23.7 points. That improved the Bearcats to 13-3 against the spread since the start of 2019 when facing an opponent with a winning record, which includes a 6-0 against-the-spread mark during the 2021 regular season.

3. Alabama was one of seven FBS teams to throw for an average of more than 345 passing yards per game in 2021. Eight of the 10 games that Cincinnati has played since the start of the 2019 season against opponents that throw for an average of at least 275 yards per game have gone Under the total. The Under is 14-4 in games Cincinnati has played as an underdog under head coach Luke Fickell, which includes a 12-2 mark when the Bearcats have been getting points away from home. An average of 45.7 total points were scored over those 14 away-from-home games.