National Football League

Football odds: Now is the time to bet on Alabama to win the national title (and more)

Updated Oct. 23, 2021 12:58 p.m. ET

By Sam Panayotovich
FOX Sports Betting Analyst

The Arizona Cardinals did it to me again.

As we roll into another weekend of football betting, I'm still thinking about how Arizona (6-0 SU, 5-1 ATS) crushed Cleveland on Sunday, Kyler Murray is now the MVP favorite (+425) at FOX Bet, and Kliff Kingsbury is easily one of the top contenders for Coach of the Year. All righty then.

But while the Cardinals might be Super Bowl-bound (maaaaaaybe), I'm a little more focused on the college football national title picture and the Crimson Tide.

My best bets are now 14-13-1 to date after a 1-2 weekend. Here are some early wagers for this coming weekend with lines via FOX Bet.

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Tennessee @ No. 4 Alabama (7 p.m. ET Saturday, ESPN)

It sounds like Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker is going to give it a go.

The thing is, he's nowhere near 100 percent, so I don't think it matters. There's a reason the betting line didn't budge when a report out of Knoxville surfaced that Hooker would likely start on Saturday night. That's because this game still has all the makings of a Tuscaloosa blowout.

Bryce Young and the Crimson Tide have been an offensive freight train lately and they're only getting better. That's the scary part. In its last three games, Bama racked up 451 yards against Ole Miss, 522 at Texas A&M (outgained the Aggies by 143 in defeat) and 543 versus Mississippi State.

Expect the Tide defense to tighten up against a Tennessee offense that doesn't have a great offensive line and who's quarterback will be hobbling around the field. This is a big number, but it's not big enough.

PICK: Alabama (-25.5 at FOX Bet) to win by more than 25.5 points

And while we're talking about Bama …

Alabama to win the national title

Did the Tide look scary last Saturday or what? Sheesh.

They absolutely pounded Mississippi State 49-9 in Starkville and never let up. Obviously, they'll have to beat better teams down the stretch, but Texas A&M may have woken a giant two weekends ago. Sometimes, Nick Saban needs his extremely talented bunch to slip up in the regular season to prove that the team isn't invincible.

Georgia has a great defense, but I still don't know if they can stop Alabama's offense. And I have a hard time believing that the Dawgs should be favored in a neutral-site game. So I'll get ahead of the curve here and take +225 on a team that I believe is better than everybody else.

A one-loss Alabama team won national titles in 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2017, and I wouldn't doubt this group after already having to experience Saban's wrath. Bama's offense is elite, and any defensive issues will be ironed out with schematics and endless hours of film study.

Roll Tide.

PICK: Alabama to win the national title (+225 at FOX Bet; bet $10 to win $32.50 total)

Wake Forest (-3 at FOX Bet) at Army

The undefeated Demon Deacons head to West Point for a battle with the Black Knights, and the market clearly respects Army in this spot.

If anything, I feel like Wake Forest is getting disrespected. The Deacs are scoring almost 40 points per game, and Army doesn't have the horses on defense to slow Sam Hartman and the passing attack if things get rolling.

Army would prefer to go up 10-0 or 14-0 and suck the life out of the game, but Wake is too disciplined on defense to let that happen. I think Dave Clawson's club will be all too ready for the intricacies of the triple option.

PICK: Wake Forest (-3 at FOX Bet) to win by more than 3 points

Cincinnati Bengals (+6 at FOX Bet) at Baltimore Ravens

When this line opened under a touchdown, I knew I would be on Cincy.

Divisional games tend to be pretty close, and many people will flock to the Ravens after their 34-6 beatdown of the Chargers. I would argue that this is a classic letdown spot for Baltimore after such a big, emotional win.

The Bengals defense — allowing just 18.5 points per game — has kept its team in every single game this year, and I don't expect that to change against a Ravens offensive line that is now without starting left tackle Ronnie Staley.

Lamar Jackson will pad his stats, but this game will be tricky. I like Joe Burrow and his talented wide receivers to keep this one close.

PICK: Cincinnati (+6 at FOX Bet) to lose by fewer than 6 points (or win outright)

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Oregon (+2 at FOX Bet) at UCLA

I hear this is the healthiest the Ducks will be all season, and it's always tough to bet against good teams getting points.

It also helps that Oregon offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead will be back after missing two games because of emergency surgery. If you don't understand the importance of having a play-caller and quarterback coach like Moorhead around, I don't know what to tell you.

Expect the Oregon defense to throw multiple looks against Dorian Thompson-Robinson in what should be a seesaw battle out west. This game will be close, but I like Oregon to pull away late. I have much more faith in the Ducks' running attack and the D's ability to get stops late.

Quack.

PICK: Oregon (+2 at FOX Bet) to lose by fewer than 2 points (or win outright)

Six-point teaser: Patriots from -7 to -1; Dolphins from +2.5 to +8.5 (-127 at FOX Bet)

If you are not familiar with a two-team teaser, it allows you to move a side or total six points. But, you must win both legs of the teaser to cash in.

Let's tease the New England Patriots from -7 to -1 and Miami Dolphins from +2.5 up through the 3, 6, and 7 to +8.5.

I don't feel comfortable laying points with the Patriots after their performance in Houston two Sundays ago, but I do like them to win. So let's tease!

Go through the 6, 4, and 3, so all Bill Belichick and Co. must do is beat the Jets in Foxboro. If that doesn't happen, I deserve to lose.

Morphing the Dolphins into over a touchdown underdogs makes a ton of sense, too. Atlanta has one road win this season, and it came over the Giants by three. The Dolphins defense is good enough to keep this one interesting, and I like Miami getting all those extra points.

Sam Panayotovich is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and NESN. He previously worked for WGN Radio, NBC Sports and VSiN. He'll probably pick against your favorite team. Follow him on Twitter @spshoot.

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