2021 Cotton Bowl Classic Betting

We’re into CFP semifinal territory and the 2021 Cotton Bowl odds are now out. It’s one of the biggest games among the NCAAF bowl games. Will the Alabama Crimson Tide overwhelm Cincinnati Bearcats and is there value to be had in the sportsbook markets? Since the rankings were announced in early December, Canadian gamblers have been looking for the best prices in town. Whether you’re an Alabama fan or you want to see Cincinnati cause an upset, we’ll show you how to find the top betting odds.

Check out the Canadian betting sites for the best odds on Cincinnati vs Alabama and get in on the action.

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2021 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

This year’s Cotton Bowl Classic of Cincinnati vs Alabama is one of the College Football Playoff semifinals for the CFP playoffs. The winner will advance to the National Championship to be played in January. The College Bowl game has been held at the AT&T Stadium in Texas since 2010 and hosts the winner of the Southeastern Conference against a #4-ranked team. The Cotton Bowl game has been classed as one of the majors ever since the new College Football Playoff system came in.

Fans of the Bearcats will be hoping to celebrate New Year’s Eve at the Cotton Bowl stadium come the end of Cincinnati vs Alabama. But the statistics don’t point to a happy game for the Ohio side.

Though Cincinnati finished 13-0 in the season, and can call upon Coby Bryant and Sauce Gardner, they’ll have to be at their best against the ferocious Alabama offense. The CA online sportsbooks agree if the Cotton Bowl betting lines are anything to go by.

This may also be the last game that head coach Luke Fickell takes charge of if any more NFL teams come sniffing. The Detroit Lions were interested in hiring the coach before moving for Dan Campbell last year.

Jerome Ford and quarterback Desmond Ridder will be the big players for the Bearcats. Ridder secured over 3,000 passing yards for a completion rate of 65.9% during 2021.

Ford - who moved from Alabama at the end of the 2019 season - managed over 1,200 rushing yards, a little ahead of Robinson Jr’s record for the Bearcats. In fact, Ford’s 1,242 rushing yards ranks 9th on the single-season record list. He also holds one of the most impressive records for rushing touchdowns.

However, those figures pale in comparison to the 4,322 passing yards of the Crimson Tide’s Bryce Young. Young was made AP Player of the Year for college football in December. Cincinnati’s job vs Alabama just got a whole lot harder in this championship game.

Cincinnati Bearcats moneyline odds: +340 (WilliamHill)

There was no doubt in the minds of the CFP ranking committee when they picked out the #1 college football team for the playoffs. Alabama was 10-0 in the regular season of the Southeastern Conference and is reigning CFP National Champions. In fact, Alabama has won three of the last six CFP National Championships (45-40 vs Clemson in 2016, 26-23 vs Georgia in 2018, and 52-24 vs Ohio State in 2021).

Alabama’s record speaks for itself in the current season, finishing 12-1 and scoring 35 or more in the majority of those games. Alabama were second only behind Ole Miss in the stats charts for total yards and yards per goal. Crimson Tide also finished second in the defensive stats charts too.

Jameson Williams is the Crimson Tide player to watch, and his record of 15 receiving touchdowns and 68 catches makes him the one that will help Tide to the final. John Metchie III will be a miss after getting injured but Alabama still look strong enough.

In Alabama head coach, Nick Saban, Crimson Tide has the pedigree to win. Saban has won a total of seven national titles as a head coach. By beating Florida 52-46 in the 2020 season, he also secured Alabama their 28th SEC title.

In addition, his Alabama team has won the CFP championships three times - 2015, 2017 and 2020 - under his stewardship. With Will Anderson, Evan Neal and Brian Robinson to call upon, no wonder the top sportsbooks have current odds of just -510 on the Crimson Tide.

Alabama Crimson Tide moneyline odds: -525 (10bet)

Canadian sportsbooks were quick to release odds for this year’s Cotton Bowl. You will find a familiar list of moneyline, point spread and totals betting at CA sportsbooks. You can also bet on team props and find player props on individual quarterbacks. We find that most Canadian sportsbooks are comparable in their Cotton Bowl odds but there is some value to be had.

Cotton Bowl Moneyline Odds

Crimson Tide are by some distance the sportsbooks’ favourites in the betting. It’s no surprise, either: Alabama are the current champions and had a superb season in the run-up to this CFP semi-final.

However, with a 13-0 record, the underdog status of the Bearcats may be unjustified. Certainly, the +340 moneyline bet on Cincinnati to win the match must surely be too big a price to ignore.

Sign up to 888Sport for the best moneyline odds now.

A point spread bet is a handicap wager where the favourite is deducted theoretical points before the game starts. The underdog receives the same number of points as a head-start.

As in the moneyline Cotton Bowl odds, Alabama are the favourites with a -13.5 point handicap. Cincinnati will receive a theoretical +13.5 point advantage before a football is kicked.

Some sportsbooks also offer teaser bets where you get to choose your own spread. For example, you can get +250 on Alabama with a -24.5 point handicap. That’s the sort of bet you’ll love if you think the Crimson Tide are shoo-ins.

Cotton Bowl Totals (Over/Under) Odds

You can also bet on whether the total points in the Cotton Bowl will be over or under the bookie’s mark. Most US sportsbooks go for a point of around 58.5. Both Cincinnati and Alabama have appeared in some high-scoring games recently, but will the semi-final be cagier?

Check out William Hill for a full list of Totals (O/U) markets on the Cotton Bowl.

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Cotton Bowl Prop Bets

You’ll also find a range of game props to bet on alongside the more traditional moneyline and totals bets.

Game props include markets such as total game points and whether the total will be odd or even. You can also get good odds by going for set spread/totals doubles such as Alabama -13.5 / Over 58.5 points.

The beauty of game props is that you also don’t have to bet on the outcome of the final result. Many sportsbooks offer Cotton Bowl odds on 1st Half / 2nd Half totals or total touchdowns.

Sign up with 10bet for a full list of team props markets and odds.

When it comes big winners in Cotton Bowl history, no-one comes close to Texas. In fact, Texas Longhorns and the Texas A&M Aggies have shared 17 Cotton Bowl titles between them in the game’s history. Alabama’s prowess in CFP Bowls shows in the Cotton Bowl – they have won it three times, the most recent coming in 2015.

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College football online sports betting is also available at some of the new sports betting sites in Canada. You’ll find a range of markets and props for the Cotton Bowl. Don’t look for much in the way of player prop bets but there is still some value on the spreads.

Cincinnati to win (+380)

You have to go back to 2015 to find an underdog winning the Cotton Bowl Classic. Since then, the favourite has won – and won convincingly.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t value in backing the underdog in Cincinnati v Alabama. Cincinnati will have to be at their best, but they can call upon a solid front line against an Alabama defense that showed cracks in their last game vs Georgia.

Total Points Under 58.0 (-110)

Alabama have cruised to the Cotton Bowl this year, scoring for fun in their past few games. However, both teams boast solid defenses and this might not be the high-scoring game it looks like on paper.

Cincinnati to win point spread +13.5 (-110)

If you don’t like the look of the Bearcats on the moneyline, why not give them a head start? The point spread of +13.5 points looks a more favourable option, especially if Bryant and co. can fire during the game.

Look for Player Props

It’s totally legal to bet on player props if you live in Canada. That’s one benefit our cousins south of the border don’t have. Look for decent odds on total rushing yards or passing yards. Cincinnati players to look out for include Jerome Ford with 19 touchdowns, and Tre Tucker with two touchdowns and over 410 yards.

You can bet on college football with just about any operator in Canada. The operators available in each province will differ greatly due to the varying regulations surrounding sports betting in Canada. Recently, sports betting in Ontario has been legalised so you can bet on college football in that province now as well.