College Football Playoff: Indiana vs Alabama Odds, Analysis, & Picks

Indiana will be looking to move one step closer to a National Championship on Thursday evening as they clash with Alabama in the Rose Bowl. The kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET. The Hoosiers are the No. 1-ranked program in the College Football Playoff, and that earned them a bye into the second round here. The Crimson Tide is the No. 9 seed, and they had to beat Oklahoma in the first round, taking them down by a score of 34-24.

Odds provided by TonyBet.

Indiana vs Alabama Odds

Indiana is a -286 favorite for this matchup at online betting sportsbooks. They’re also laying seven points on the spread. Bama returns at +200 odds. The total is set at 48 points. This is the first-ever meeting between these two programs. 

Indiana vs Alabama Analysis

Curt Cignetti has turned Indiana into one of the best teams in the country over the last few seasons, but ‘25 has truly been their coming-out party. The arrival of Fernando Mendoza from Cal has been the game-changer for the Hoosiers, who were long known as strictly a basketball school. Mendoza proceeded to win the Heisman this season after leading this program to a perfect 13-0 record. The quarterback completed over 70% of his throws for 2,980 yards and 33 touchdowns against just six interceptions. Mendoza even led IU to the Big Ten title, beating Ohio State in the championship game.

This Indiana team has all the makings of a National Championship squad. They’re elite on both sides of the ball, have a true superstar under center in Mendoza, and they’re an incredibly tough team. One area where the Hoosiers have shown vulnerability at times this season though is in their secondary, and they will need to try and limit Bama’s explosive plays downfield. Despite the Crimson Tide barely getting into the CFP, Indiana knows they can’t take such an experienced program lightly.

Many criticized the CFP committee for putting Alabama in the Playoff ahead of several other teams who seemingly deserved it more, especially after the Tide were blown out in the SEC Championship by Georgia. Nevertheless, Kalen DeBoer’s team proved they belong in the first round of the Playoff, eliminating Oklahoma earlier this month, beating them in Norman. Ty Simpson threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns.

Bama finished the regular season with an 11-3 record, and they were the only three-loss team to make it into the College Football Playoff. Now, the Tide face arguably their toughest task of the entire season so far in Indiana. While Alabama did beat Georgia earlier this season, the Hoosiers are arguably even a more complete team than the Bulldogs. Bama needs to bring their absolute best on both sides of the ball and even then, it may not be enough to beat Indiana, who have truly looked unstoppable.

Indiana vs Alabama Picks

Bama’s experience and weapons cannot be overlooked. I expect this one to be close, perhaps even just a one-possession game. However, Indiana will come out on top, and advance. I’ll take the Hoosiers on the moneyline.

Pick:Indiana -286/TonyBet