The No. 1 team in the nation will show up in Oxford this weekend, as Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide will put the Ole Miss Rebels to an acid test. ‘Bama will have to be careful, though, as the Rebels seem to be a team that can bite back and hurt any favored team who will look past them. Alabama is still the heavy favorite to win the National Championship Game with a price of +170. Ole Miss, meanwhile, has a dizzying odds of +100,000 to rule college football this season.
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Betting Preview for the Alabama Crimson Tide vs Ole Miss Rebels Week 3 College Football Game on Sept. 15 2018
Where: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford
When: Saturday, September 3, 2018, 7:00 PM ET
Line: Alabama Crimson Tide (-21) vs Ole Miss Rebels (+21) – view all 2018 NCAAF lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Alabama Crimson Tide (-21 Spread / 2-0 Record)
Last time we checked, Alabama is still the best team in the nation. The Crimson Tide have yet to be tested this year after two dominant wins over Louisville (51-14) and Arkansas State (57-7) in their first two games of the season. Alabama was expected to use the Cardinals and the Red Wolves as their punching bags, even with a quarterback quandary seemingly still ongoing in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide, however, have been using Tua Tagovailoa over Jalen Hurts more often under center, so the former is likely going to be the starter against Ole Miss. Tagovailoa has completed 71.4 percent of his passes so far this season with 455 passing yards and six touchdowns with zero interceptions. Of course, their stout defense is also one constant factor for the Crimson Tide, who are allowing only 10.5 points and 335 total yards per game this season.
Alabama is 6-4 ATS in its last 10 road games.
Betting on the Ole Miss Rebels (+21 Spread / 2-0 Record)
Ole Miss maintained an undefeated record by taking down FCS team Southern Illinois Salukis last week, 76-41, but not before getting an upset scare. Th Rebels trailed Southern Illinois, 38-35, at the half, but started to flex their muscle in the final two quarters of the game in which Ole Miss outscored the Salukis, 41-3. Rebels quarterback Jordan Ta’amu ripped the Saluki’s air defense, throwing for 448 yards and five touchdowns. As good as Alabama’s defense is, it’s not completely impenetrable, particularly its rebuilding secondary, so Ta’amu can continue slinging the ball as though his life depended on how many passing yards he can come up with. Louisville quarterback Jawon Pass had 252 passing yards against the Crimson Tide while Arkansas State had 218 passing yards versus Alabama. Surrounded by a crop of talented receivers like A.J. Brown, Braylon Sanders, and D.J. Metcalf, Ta’amu should be emboldened to challenge Alabama’s defense against the pass. Brown paces the Rebels with 251 receiving yards this season, while Sanders and Metcalf have 193 and 174 receiving yards, respectively.
The Rebels are 6-2 ATS in their last eight home games against Alabama.
Writer’s Prediction
Alabama wins, 38-24.
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