Time: 2 PM EST Sat
Spread: ALA -49.5
Total: 57.5
Betting Odds from Bookmaker
FLORIDA ATLANTIC
Things just went from bad to worse for the Owls of Florida Atlantic. Last week, they were slammed by then No.7 Georgia, losing by 36 in game in which they covered the spread set by college football oddsmakers, but were still embarrassed in after giving up a school record of 713 yards to the Bulldogs.
Bulldogs QB Aaron Murray had a career game against the Owls, and Florida Atlantic could manage only 318 total yards while accruing 15 first downs to the Bulldogs 26. The game wasn’t a surprise, but really, the opening night win for the Owls already constitutes the season as a success after winning just one game all of last year and dropping every single conference game. Their lone win last year was by a single field goal, so the 7-3 win over Wagner on opening night still remains a highlight thus far.
But that is all little consolation against the No. 1 overall ranked Crimson Tide. Florida Atlantic QB Graham Wilbert had a 77.8 percent completion ratio going into the loss to Georgia, and he threw for 1,459 yards as a sophomore, but the Owls have their hands full with the tough ‘Bama defense. The two wins projected for Florida Atlantic are by no means impossible since it requires only one more win!—but don’t expect it to come this week against Alabama.
ALABAMA
Roll Tide, Roll. Since giving up two TDs in the win over then No.8 Michigan, the Crimson Tide have not allowed a score in their last two games against Western Kentucky and Arkansas, while amassing 87 points of their own between the two games.
Those two defensive efforts help the Tide rank 3rd in the nation in points allowed per game, surrendering but 4.7 per game now, while scoring a 17th high 42.7 per game. Don’t expect this matchup against the Florida Atlantic Owls to prove to be much more than another chance for the Crimson Tide to demoralize another offense, and likely shut them out.
The Tide’s leading rushers are T.J Yeldon and Eddie Lacy, who each have 30 carries on the season. Lacy has been the goal line running back, recording four TDs so far, while having rushed for 126. But it has been Yeldon who has led the team in total yardage, with 191 so far. Kenyan Drake and Blake Sims have both had nice long TD runs of 32 and 27 yards, respectively, and the Tide have scored 9 rushing TDs so far this season.
In the air, they have two 100+ yard receivers in Kevin Norwood and Christion Jones. Jones has 121 yards on six catches, and Norwood has 159 yards on seven. Both average more than 20 yards per reception, and there are three other big contributors for ‘Bama, in the aforementioned Yeldon, who has caught six passes for 91 yards, and DeAndrew White, and Amari Cooper, who both have 79 and 73 yards, respectively.
That crew of receivers is the recipient of A.J. McCarron’s accuracy. He’s thrown 64.3 percent of his passes for completion and has 607 yards in the air on 36 completions. His QB rating is 196.6, and he has yet to throw a single interception, while having completed seven passes for a touchdown.
THE FINAL WORD:
The Tide are going to take care of business this week, and 53.7 percent of bettors are expecting this total to go under, while 64.9 percent of bettors expect the Owls to cover the 49.5 point spread set against them by college football oddsmakers, at the time of issue (10:30 PM EST, Friday). Alabama will probably be able to win convincingly enough to remain the top dog on the AP poll, but covering this spread still might be asking a lot of a team that has yet to face any real competition, even despite the fact they faced a top 10 opponent already.
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