Updated Alabama vs. Cincinnati Betting Odds: Crimson Tide a Big Favorite in Cotton Bowl CFP Semifinal

Alabama vs. Cincinnati Updated Odds

The Alabama Crimson Tide are set to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Cotton Bowl Classic on Dec. 31 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

FanDuel Sportsbook opened Alabama at -16.5 on Saturday night, and the spread has dropped to -14 as of Sunday afternoon when the game was announced as official.

DraftKings Sportsbook is even lower at Alabama -13.5, and higher on the total at 59. The Tide are -575 on the moneyline, meaning a $57.50 bet on Alabama to just win the game would pay $10.

Find our expert's projected odds, a recap of each team's seasons, plus more information on the Cotton Bowl Classic below.

Our Alabama vs. Cincinnati Projected Odds

These Alabama vs. Cincinnati projections are based on Collin Wilson's college football power ratings, which help power our PRO Projections — they compare all of his projections to real-time college football odds in order to easily identify betting edges.

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How Alabama Reached the Cotton Bowl Classic

It didn't feel like a typical Alabama season at times, but the Tide ended up right where they usually are anyway — as SEC Champions and College Football Playoff participants.

Bama nearly lost to Auburn in the Iron Bowl during the final week of the regular season, getting shut out in the first half before a last-minute touchdown drive by Bryce Young and Co. propelled them to an overtime victory. They followed it up by blowing out Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, as Young threw for a ridiculous 421 yards and three touchdowns to all but lock up his Heisman Trophy.

Still, Alabama is not without flaws. The Tide played one-score games against Florida, LSU, Auburn, Arkansas and Texas A&M. The defense took too many penalties and gave up too many yards at times. Now, they'll be missing star wide receiver John Metchie after a torn ACL in the SEC Championship Game.

How Cincinnati Reached the Cotton Bowl Classic

Head coach Luke Fickell has been one of the best in all of college football this season, no matter the level of competition.

The Bearcats ripped off a 12-0 regular season, giving Fickell and the program a sizzling-hot 43-6 record over the last four years. That’s pure dominance, especially considering fellow AAC affiliate UCF just a few years ago resembled the closest thing to a Power 5 factory.

Fickell’s defense barely budged this season, allowing just 16.5 points per contest. The Bearcats didn’t give up more than 28 points in a single game.

Offensively, quarterback Desmond Ridder has played well for the most part this year, but he did throw an interception in five of his final six games. The Bearcats outscored opponents by 22.8 points per game in 2021, which trailed only Georgia and Ohio State nationally.

Alabama vs. Cincinnati Matchup Analysis

Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Alabama and Cincinnati match up statistically:

Alabama Offense vs. Cincinnati Defense

	Offense	Defense	Edge
Rush Success	71	30
Line Yards	76	27
Pass Success	6	7
Pass Blocking**	51	4
Big Play	6	14
Havoc	61	19
Finishing Drives	10	5
** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.)

Cincinnati Offense vs. Alabama Defense

	Offense	Defense	Edge
Rush Success	19	7
Line Yards	46	3
Pass Success	45	41
Pass Blocking**	82	50
Big Play	61	46
Havoc	13	12
Finishing Drives	12	89
** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.)

Pace of Play / Other

PFF Tackling	3	7
Coverage	21	2
Middle 8	3	11
SP+ Special Teams	26	78
Plays per Minute	59	—
Rush Rate	49.3% (101)	54.3% (71)

Cotton Bowl Classic Date, Time, TV, More Info

• Date: Dec. 31
• Time: 3:30 or 7:30 p.m. ET
• Location: AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
• TV Info: ESPN