Alabama Crimson Tide at Florida Gators Betting Preview
Saturday features a battle of top-25 SEC teams as the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0) take on the No. 11 Florida Gators (2-0). The Gators will host this one at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 pm ET.
Last week, Alabama was able to take down Mercer 48-14. In the win, Bryce Young threw for 227 and three touchdowns while Brian Robinson Jr. rushed for another touchdown.
For Florida, they were able to take down South Florida on the road 42-20. Emory Jones threw for 151 yards and a touchdown, but he also threw two interceptions.
Anthony Richardson only had three passes, but he threw for 152 yards and two scores. He also rushed four times for 115 yards and another touchdown.
Alabama is the heavy favorite despite playing on the road. They are -650 to win while the Gators’ moneyline sits at +470. The spread features Florida +14.5 (-110), and the over/under for total points is 59.5.
More Odds
Alabama is the favorite to win the SEC championship. They are -185 to win the conference, while Florida is +2500 to win the SEC.
In terms of the National Championship, the Crimson Tide are once again the favorites to win it at +150. The Gators are +8000 to win it all.
By The Numbers
Alabama is 10-0 in their last ten games, and they are 9-3 against the spread over their last 12. Despite this solid record, they are just 2-7 against the spread in their last nine games in September.
While Florida is 14-4 in their last 18 games, the Gators are just 1-5 against the spread over their last six. Florida is 12-1 when playing at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium over their last 13.
Alabama Gets First Big Test
As a team that went undefeated and won the National Championship last season, there is no one that the Crimson Tide should be scared of playing. While Florida certainly does not strike fear into Alabama, they will still be one of their biggest tests early in the season.
Offensively, Alabama has been led by sophomore quarterback Bryce Young. On the season, he has thrown for 571 yards, seven touchdowns, and no interceptions in just two games.
His best targets to date have been Jameson Williams (seven receptions, 157 yards, two touchdowns), John Metchie III (11 receptions, 146 yards, one touchdown), and Jojo Earle (nine receptions, 110 yards).
Through two games, Alabama’s defense is currently allowing 13 points and just 266 combined yards per game.
Does Florida Have A Quarterback Issue?
When you have to go against the likes of Alabama’s stout defense, the last thing that you want is uncertainty under center. For head coach Dan Mullen, that is exactly what he has.
Through two games, junior quarterback Emory Jones has thrown for just 264 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions. His current quarterback rating is a dismal 56.3.
The other option for the Gators is freshman Anthony Richardson. In far fewer snaps, he has thrown for 192 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions while rushing for 275 yards and another two scores.
Richardson is dealing with a hamstring injury, but Mullen indicated Wednesday that he had practiced every day this week, so he could be trending towards playing.
Defensively, the Gators will certainly need to step up to the challenge. Thus far, they rank 30th in scoring defense (17 points per game) and 38th in total yards allowed per game (325).
Alabama Wins, But Can They Cover?
It speaks volumes as to how good Alabama is that they are facing the 11th-ranked team in the nation, but they are still favored by over two touchdowns.
Despite winning their first two games, it just seems hard to see Florida beating Alabama, especially with the uncertainty under center.
For that reason, definitely take Alabama to win, and do not hesitate to take them covering the massive 14.5-point spread.
