2 Best College Football Playoff Bets and Props for Indiana vs. Alabama in the Rose Bowl

Two teams that have been at the opposite end of the spectrum throughout most of college football history meet up at 4 p.m. on Saturday in a CFP quarterfinal clash.

The No. 1 seed Indiana Hoosiers face the No. 9 seed Alabama Crimson Tide at the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.

Which bets stand out for this matchup?

Let's dig into FanDuel Sportsbook's college football betting odds and lay out some potential values.

All college football betting odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Alabama vs. Indiana CFP Betting Picks

Under 48.5 Points (-118)

The Hoosiers and Crimson Tide have two of the nation's best defenses, and when you couple that with a pair of offenses that have struggled at times, it pushes me to the under.

Defense is the strong suit for both of these teams. By SP+, Indiana ranks second in defense while 'Bama checks in ninth. Offensively, Alabama ranks 25th and IU is sixth.

While Alabama just put up 34 points in a first-round road win at the Oklahoma Sooners, they gained only 260 yards in that one. It's IU's offense that worries me more as far as this under is concerned.

But IU's offensive output versus top-notch defenses gives me confidence. Indiana has played three top-10 defenses this year -- Ohio State Buckeyes, Iowa Hawkeyes and Oregon Ducks. In those matchups, Indiana averaged just 21.0 points per game.

The Hoosiers are also very committed to running the ball, doing so 34 times in the Big Ten title game against OSU, and runs can aid the under as it keeps the clock moving.

Both of these QBs are likely to be first-round picks whenever they enter the NFL Draft, and a 48.5-point total isn't all that high for a college game. However, I see these two elite defenses winning out on Thursday.

Fernando Mendoza Under 21.5 Rushing Yards (-114)

Sacks counting as negative rushing yards makes QB rushing props super volatile in college football. With that said, this is my favorite bet for the game.

For the season, Mendoza has averaged 18.5 rushing yards per game on 3.5 attempts. His rushing production tailed off in a big way late in the year. Over his final three games, Mendoza had rushing outputs of -3 and -24 yards against the Wisconsin Badgers and OSU, respectively, sandwiched around a 27-yard rushing day versus a poor Purdue Boilermakers team.

Mendoza isn't immune to taking sacks. In the aforementioned three matchups versus top-10 defenses, Mendoza was sacked a total of six times, including three last time out against the Buckeyes. That could be an issue against a Crimson Tide defense that just sacked John Mateer five times in Norman.

All in all, 21.5 yards is a fairly high number for a QB who doesn't get many designed runs and who is likely to take a sack or two.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.