For the first time in three years, the Florida Gators and Alabama Crimson Tide – two of the historical powerhouses of the SEC – are set to meet in regular season conference play.
While Florida has fallen off from the glory days of the mid- to-late 2000’s, ‘Bama has maintained its position atop college football, and is positioning itself for another national title challenge this season. But can the pesky Gators throw a monkey wrench into those plans when they visit Tuscaloosa?
Clemson also has its sights set on disrupting defending champion Florida State’s plans for a repeat. See our preview of Clemson vs. Florida State, and read on for this exciting SEC showdown.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Florida Gators vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Betting Preview and Prediction
Where: Bryant–Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa
When: Saturday, September 20, 3:30 PM ET
Line: Florida Gators (+15) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (-15) – view all NCAA Football lines
Betting on the Florida Gators
Florida didn’t have the most convincing build-up to its big Week 4 clash with fellow SEC giants Alabama. The Gators needed three overtimes to defeat Kentucky, a team it had beaten 27-consecutive times prior to last Saturday’s game, at home. The Gators surrendered 369 passing yards and couldn’t capitalize on a +2 turnover advantage after intercepting Kentucky quarterback Patrick Towles three times.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]On the bright side, the win (just barely) snapped Florida’s five-game losing streak to fellow SEC opponents. But it’ll take some serious improvement on both sides of the ball for Florida to avoid another loss on the road to Alabama.
Despite his decent-looking numbers (25-for-43, 295 yards and three touchdowns), quarterback Jeff Driskel didn’t play particularly well, with overthrown balls that could’ve led to big gains and another poorly thrown pass that was intercepted.
For the most part, wide receiver Demarcus Robinson probably made his quarterback look better than he actually was. The sophomore caught 15 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns against Kentucky, which was a nice encore to his 123-yard, one-touchdown game in their first game against Eastern Michigan.
Alabama has already shown once this season that their secondary is a particular weakness. The Tide allowed 365 yards to West Virginia in Week 1, with receiver Kevin White racking up 143 yards and a touchdown. If Driskel can connect with Robinson like they have for the first couple of games, the Gators may stand a chance of hanging with the Tide on offense.
Betting on the Alabama Crimson Tide
After a too-close-for-comfort, 10-point win against West Virginia at the Georgia Dome in Week 1, the last two games have seen more Alabama-like 40-point blowouts against overmatched non-conference foes. However, neither margin of victory was quite high enough to cover the spread, leaving the Tide 0-3 so far ATS this season.
The last two wins have showcased either side of ‘Bama’s offensive game, which looks impressive. Against Florida Atlantic, their two-headed quarterback monster of Blake Sims and Jake Coker combined for 430 yards and three touchdowns, while against Southern Miss, their tremendous running game ran the show with 333 yards and five touchdowns.
The one constant in all three of ‘Bama’s games has been wide receiver Amari Cooper. Through three games, Cooper is averaging 11 catches and 151 yards per game. After seeing what Kentucky freshman Garrett Johnson (6 catches, 154 yards and two TDs) managed against Florida’s secondary, Cooper will like his chances of adding to his already impressive numbers.
On defense, Alabama’s imposing front seven has completely shut down the running games of all three of its opponents, allowing just over two yards per carry in 66 attempts. The passing defense wasn’t quite up to that standard in their biggest test to date against West Virginia, but expect Nick Saban to make the needed adjustments against Florida.
Writer’s Prediction
Florida’s defense is overwhelmed by ‘Bama’s multi-dimensional attack, while the Tide defense sweeps away the Gator attack. Take the Tide (-15) to win and cover at home. Create a betting account now and get in on the terrific battles within the very competitive SEC.
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