The Alabama Crimson Tide put themselves right back in the playoff picture with a comprehensive 14-point victory over the Tennessee Volunteers last Saturday. They can further tighten their grip on second spot in the SEC West when they take on the upset-hungry LSU Tigers who recorded a stunning 10-7 win over the previously unbeaten Ole Miss Rebels the last time out.
Who will grab the advantage in this crucial SEC showdown? Read on for a preview of this matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the game between Texas A&M and Auburn here.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Alabama Crimson Tide vs. LSU Tigers Betting Preview
Where: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge
When: Saturday, November 8, 2014, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Alabama Crimson Tide (-6.5) at LSU Tigers (+6.5) – view all NCAA Football lines
Betting on the Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama has recovered nicely from its Week 5 defeat to Ole Miss, as the Crimson Tide racked up their third consecutive win with a convincing 34-20 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers last Saturday.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]It was a record-breaking night for wide receiver Amari Cooper as he broke the receiving yardage mark set by Julio Jones (221 yards) back in 2010 against the same team. Cooper was dominant as he caught nine passes, scored two touchdowns, and set a new school record with 224 yards. He was in fine form even in the early going as he already had five catches for 185 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter alone.
It was also a great night for Alabama head coach Nick Saban who saw his team move back into the thick of the SEC race after watching Ole Miss lose to LSU. They are now tied with the Auburn Tigers for second place in the congested SEC West with both having 7-1 slates (4-1 SEC).
They can further boost their chances of reaching the inaugural College Football Playoff if they can manage to beat LSU this coming Saturday at Tiger Stadium. They will be confident of getting the crucial victory as they have won their last three meetings with LSU dating back to January 2012.
In fact in their last meeting last November 2013, the Crimson Tide demolished the Tigers 38-17 behind quarterback AJ McCarron’s three touchdown passes. McCarron’s no longer with Alabama, though, but they have found a suitable replacement in Blake Sims. Sims has been solid for the Crimson Tide this season, as he is 29th among all starting quarterbacks in the FBS in the passing yards department with 2034 already to his name.
With Alabama shifting to a more pass-oriented offense, his role in the team has taken more importance. Even with those changes, the fact remains that the Crimson Tide’s bread-and-butter is still its defense. This year, they are the fourth-best defensive team in the FBS allowing an average of just 277.3 yards per game.
They will need to be wary, though, of LSU’s offense that is averaging 32.8 points per outing this season, good for 42nd in the entire FBS.
The Crimson Tide are 3-1 in their last four meetings with LSU at Tiger Stadium.
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Betting on the LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers sent shockwaves across the entire FBS after stunning Ole Miss 10-7 last Saturday to crush the Rebels’ dreams of finishing the season with an unblemished slate for the first time in half a century.
The Tigers showed that they are the real comeback kids as they came back from seven points down to record the shock upset victory. Ever since head coach Les Miles took over back in 2005, the Tigers have grabbed an FBS-best 24 fourth-quarter comeback wins.
This time around, it was safety Ronald Martin who was the hero for LSU as he intercepted quarterback Bo Wallace’s pass at the 1 with two seconds remaining to seal the win. The Tigers’ defense was impressive all throughout as they limited Wallace to just 14 of 33 passing for 176 yards and a solitary touchdown as the Rebels failed to clear the double-digit mark in scoring for the first time this season.
They will look to continue their giant-killing ways when they take on Alabama this coming Saturday but stopping the Crimson Tide would be easier said than done. The Crimson Tide have the 14th-best offense in the FBS this season averaging 508.9 yards per contest.
This is a different Alabama team, though, which relies more on the passing game compared to seasons past. The Crimson Tide are 24th in the FBS in passing offense averaging 291.3 yards per game. The Tigers secondary will be confident, however, of stopping Alabama’s passing forays as they are the third best team in the FBS in passing defense, allowing an average of just 158.4 yards per outing.
The Tigers are 5-1 at home this season.
Writer’s Prediction
The Crimson Tide edge past the Tigers, 28-24.
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