Alabama vs. Clemson, Georgia vs. Oklahoma: TV Channel, Start Times, Odds, Prediction For CFP Games

Four weeks after the 2018 College Football Playoff teams were selected, the games are finally set to get underway. Clemson, Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma will compete in the semifinals on New Year’s Day, hoping to earn a spot in the Jan. 8 CFP national championship game.

Let’s take a closer look at each contest. Here are the TV channels, start times, betting odds and predictions for Clemson vs. Alabama and Georgia vs. Oklahoma:

No.3 Georgia vs. No.2 Oklahoma (Rose Bowl)

Even though they are the higher ranked team with the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback, the Sooners are underdogs Monday afternoon. Georgia is a 2.5-point favorite, via OddsShark, and the over/under is 61.5.

Ranking second in the country in passing yards, quarterback Baker Mayfield leads the No.1 offense. Oklahoma didn’t need much defense to win the Big 12 Championship, scoring more than 30 points in all but one game. The Sooners scored upwards of 40 points in six of their last seven contests, including three wins in their last five games over teams ranked in the top 11.

If there is a defense that can contain Oklahoma’s dynamic offense, it might belong to Georgia. The Bulldogs won the nation’s most competitive conference with the No.4 scoring defense, and it’s a unit that seemed to get better by the end of the season. After blowing out Auburn, 28-7, in the SEC Championship Game, the Bulldogs have surrendered just 27 total points in their last three contests. Georgia gave up 20 points or more twice in 2017.

Don’t be surprised if Mayfield struggles in what could be his final game before entering the draft. The 22-year-old was held out of bowl activities late last week because of cold and “flu-like” symptoms, and now he’ll be facing the best defense he’s seen all year a month after his last game.

When a Heisman Trophy quarterback meets a top-10 defense in a bowl game, it’s usually the defense that prevails. In seven such instances since 1998, the quarterbacks have gone just 1-6, totaling seven touchdowns and eight interceptions.

The Rose Bowl starts at 5 p.m. EST on ESPN and a live stream is available on WatchESPN.

Prediction: Georgia over Oklahoma, 30-23

No.4 Clemson vs. No.1 Alabama (Sugar Bowl)

The Sugar Bowl is the true main event of the New Year’s Day bowl schedule. It’s a rematch of the last two national title games, both of which were decided in the final seconds.

The 2018 matchup between Clemson and Alabama has a much different tone than the previous two contests. Monday’s game takes place in the semifinals, not the national championship game, and Deshaun Watson won’t be under center for the Tigers.

Watson was perhaps college football’s best player in the last two seasons. The Tigers defeated the Crimson Tide last year behind his 420 passing yards and four total touchdowns. Kelly Bryant has led Clemson to the top of the rankings in his first season as a starting quarterback but he will be facing one of the best defenses in the nation.

Alabama surrenders just 11.5 points per game, even after allowing 26 points to Auburn in a loss that prevented them from reaching the SEC Championship Game. None of their previous opponents had scored more than 23 points, including eight teams that were held to 10 points or fewer. The Crimson Tide give up 2.8 yards per carry, which could be trouble for a Clemson offense that relies so heavily on its rushing attack.

Alabama is favored by three points, and the over under is 47. The game starts on ESPN at 8:45 p.m. EST. A live stream is available on WatchESPN.​

Prediction: Alabama over Clemson, 27-17