Orange Bowl Betting: Clemson & West Virginia Will Embrace The Orange Bowl

The Clemson Tigers and West Virginia Mountaineers will be very, very happy to play in this season’s Orange Bowl game. The same can’t be said for other bowl teams across the country.

West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Clemson Tigers – Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Sports betting line: Clemson -3.5

Why West Virginia Will Win

When you do your homework and assess your best best sportsbook on this game, you know that Clemson is feeling full of itself while West Virginia struggled down the stretch to barely beat mediocre teams from Pittsburgh and South Florida. Yet, when a bowl game comes around, the emotional calculus changes. West Virginia has something to prove in this game. The Mountaineers lost to LSU earlier this season after pushing the Tigers hard through three quarters. West Virginia has the athletes to compete with any team in the country; it gave LSU a good ride, better than what most teams have delivered during this college football season. Quarterback Geno Smith has a tremendously diverse skill set – his combination of speed and arm strength will be a lot for Clemson’s defense to handle. Receivers Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin will be very hard for Clemson’s secondary to contain. This game shapes up as an old-fashioned shootout, and if that’s the case, West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen – who knows how to run a wide-open, no-holds-barred passing attack – will be right in his element. One can very easily imagine a scenario in which West Virginia – though a clear underdog – rises up to take this game by the horns.

Why Clemson Will Win

The college football betting  experts who are looking at this game are mindful of West Virginia’s athleticism and talent on the edges, but they also know that Clemson can match the Mountaineers player for player… and then some. Tajh Boyd struggled throughout the month of November, but he came on strong in the ACC Championship Game and led a Tiger offense which dismantled the ACC Coastal Division champion Virginia Tech Hokies, 38-10. Boyd has so many good athletes to throw to, with Heisman-worth talent Sammy Watkins – just a freshman, mind you – leading the way. Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris, in his first year on the job, has unlocked and unleashed the full measure of the Tigers’ talents in ways that previous offensive coordinators simply failed to do. Clemson is finally maximizing its resources, and that’s why the program has won its first ACC title since 1991. West Virginia might play well in this game, but Clemson has thoroughly demonstrated to the nation that its best brand of ball will trump the Mountaineers’ very best brand of ball. If these two teams play at the same level, Clemson is going to win in Miami and win its first Orange Bowl since 1982, when Perry Tuttle and Homer Jordan led the Tigers to the 1981 national title with in a 22-15 triumph over Nebraska.

Who Will Win

It’s going to be thriller in Miami, but Clemson has better depth and more options than West Virginia. The Tigers have a plan B in this game, whereas the Mountaineers don’t. Take the Tigers in this Big East-ACC encounter.

College Football Betting Pick: Clemson

Sugar Bowl Betting: Virginia Tech And Michigan Meet In Controversial Game

This season’s Sugar Bowl is not very sweet in the eyes of many national commentators and pundits. The story before kickoff is that other teams should play in this year’s event.

Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Michigan Wolverines – Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Sports betting line: Michigan -2

Why Virginia Tech Will Win

When you do your homework and assess your best best sportsbook on this game, you need to realize that one very powerful dynamic is at work in Virginia Tech’s favor: This is the kind of game in which a team smarting from not only a blowout loss, but a perceived lack of respect, rallies around the flag to prove a point. Virginia Tech is naturally and rightly being dismissed heading into this game because it got crushed by Clemson, 38-10, in this past Saturday’s ACC Championship Game in Charlotte. Virginia Tech was supposed to have had the answers for Clemson after losing the first matchup by a lopsided 23-3 score, but after losing a second time to the Tigers in even more emphatic fashion, it’s clear that this bunch of Hokies is just not as good as previous versions. Injuries to the defense have limited the ability of coordinator Bud Foster to put his best 11 players on the field, but the larger point remains that Virginia Tech just hasn’t been as physically imposing in the trenches.

This might all seem like a reason to pick Michigan in this game, but the extent to which Virginia Tech has been written off is something to watch for. This is like the NCAA Tournament team who makes it into the Big Dance as a No. 12 seed and gets criticized. When the tournament arrives, this kind of team plays its best game and knocks off the No. 5 seed in the first round. Virginia Tech wants to show that it belongs in the Sugar Bowl, despite what the critics say. This is powerful emotional fuel, and it’s precisely the kind of motivation that often makes a difference in bowl games. The team with more incentive to win – or with more pressure on its back – is more likely to handle the extended one-month layoff with attention on the task at hand. This might be a pleasure trip for Michigan in New Orleans, but it’s definitely going to be all business for the Hokies, and that will matter a lot.

Why Michigan Will Win

The college football betting  experts looking at this game are making it a pick ‘em game because Virginia Tech just isn’t that imposing. Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson gets punished by physical defenses, but after seeing Clemson’s fleet-footed athletes run past the Hokies in the ACC title game, Robinson and the rest of the skill players on Michigan’s offense should be licking their chops. Michigan head coach Brady Hoke has a first-class coaching staff featuring offensive coordinator Al Borges and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison. Both men should be able to exploit the weaknesses in Virginia Tech’s overall makeup, enabling the Wolverines to catapult themselves into the national title discussion… for the 2012 season.

Who Will Win

It’s motivation, motivation, motivation in bowl games. Take Virginia Tech, a team that will feel as though it’s being disrespected.

College Football Betting Pick: Virginia Tech

BCS Bowl National Championship Betting: LSU And Alabama Clash For National Championship

The LSU Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide already met to decide the SEC West Division title. Now they’ll meet again for the right to hold aloft the crystal trophy in New Orleans.

Alabama Crimson Tide vs. LSU Tigers – Monday, January 9, 2012
Sports betting line: LSU -1 1/2

Why Alabama Will Win

When you do your homework and assess your best best sportsbook on this game, you need to realize that for all of LSU’s successes, the Tigers remain a team quarterbacked by Jordan Jefferson, a man who could not generate one first down in the entire first half of the SEC Championship

Game this past Saturday against Georgia. Jefferson can be electric at times, but he did nothing of note against Georgia and was also silent in the Nov. 5 game against Alabama. Moreover, the Bayou Bengals also came up with game-changing special-teams plays that gave them a needed margin for error in some of their other wins this season. As long as the Crimson Tide don’t allow LSU kick returner Tyrann Mathieu to beat them, they can win a low-scoring game against the Tigers. Alabama’s defense ranks in the top three of several statistical categories; head coach Nick Saban and defensive coordinator Kirby Smart are regarded as two of the best defensive minds in the college game. A team with a great defense and even better defensive strategists should be able to find the game plan that confuses Jefferson once again and makes LSU’s offense crumble. Alabama might not score much against LSU’s fast defense, but the Tigers might score even fewer points against the Crimson Tide.

Why LSU Will Win

The college football betting  experts who study the Southeastern Conference have felt that a rematch for the BCS national title was going to happen. When Oklahoma State lost to Iowa State on November 18 and no other team could fill in the gap, the stars aligned for Alabama to retake the No. 2 spot and find its way into the Louisiana Superdome on the second Monday of January.

The best reason to take LSU in this game is that the Tigers have speed, speed, speed and more speed. It’s not that Alabama’s slow; the Crimson Tide are quite formidable and athletic. However, LSU has placed a particular emphasis on being nimble enough to win every meaningful skirmish on the edges and in both backfields. The fact that LSU opened its season against the ultra-fast Oregon Ducks made the Bayou Bengals acutely aware of the need to be fast in the secondary and at linebacker. LSU thoroughly shut down Oregon’s running game in a 40-27 win that felt like a 25-point win more than a 13-point victory. In this game, the Tigers can take the field against Alabama knowing that they’ve already beaten the Crimson Tide on the road. LSU’s previous two BCS national championships were won in the Superdome before a partisan crowd. The dome-field advantage that marked LSU’s 2004 Sugar Bowl win over Oklahoma and its 2008 BCS National Championship Game win over Ohio State should once again emerge in this contest. LSU also knows that as was the case in the first matchup between these teams on Nov. 5, Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron will have a tough time fitting the ball into tight windows against the Tigers’ back line of defense. Speed is the currency which will carry a great deal of value for the Tigers in this game. It’s why they have an excellent chance of winning this rematch.

Who Will Win

It’s going to be an old-fashioned SEC slugfest. Neither team should score a lot, because both defenses should be a step ahead of the offenses. More specifically, neither quarterback is dynamic enough to outmaneuver the linebackers and safeties posed by the opposition. The sense here is that Jordan Jefferson will make fewer mistakes than A.J. McCarron. The value of the Superdome can’t be emphasized enough in this game. LSU will be playing a home game.

College Football Betting Pick: LSU

Army Navy Betting: Army, Navy Meet In Hallowed College Football Classic

The Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen won’t play in a bowl game this season, but that unfortunate fact only makes their 2011 meeting that much more important.
Army Black Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen – Saturday, December 10
Sports betting line: No line

Why Army Will Win

The college football betting  experts who have followed the Independents this year know that it’s been a very bad season for the indies and the service academies as well. Neither Notre Dame nor BYU have had a particularly successful autumn – both schools have won eight games at this point in time, but neither team has looked impressive or played anywhere close to its capabilities. The same can be said of both Army and Navy. The boys from West Point and Annapolis both reached bowl games last season – Army in the Armed Forces Bowl and Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl. In 2011, the Brave Old Army Team and the Midshipmen will stay home for the holidays. Only Air Force will represent the service academies in a bowl game, and the Falcons barely qualified for the postseason at 7-5.

Within this larger reality, it’s a point of concern for Navy that it couldn’t even reach the .500 mark this season. Quarterback Kriss Proctor has consistently missed wide-open receivers and has failed to give the Midshipmen the passing game they need in order to ring up big point totals. Navy’s offense simply hasn’t found the groove that past Navy offenses have managed to attain a few times each season. No one’s expecting Navy to average 40 points a game, but the Mids have failed to score 35 or even 31 points in a number of games when they wound up scoring just 24. Failing to tally those extra seven to ten points has made the difference between a 5-7 year and an 8-4, bowl-bearing year. Army is definitely playing a less effective Navy squad, and that’s how the Black Knights can break a nine-game losing streak in this series.

Why Navy Will Win

When you do your homework and assess your best best sportsbook on this game, you have to realize that while Navy is much weaker than it’s been in the past, Army has endured a noticeable decline as well in 2011. Army went 7-6 last year but is now sitting at 3-8, mired in gridiron misery. It’s true that the Black Knights will be fired up for this game, and it’s also true that in a typical Army-Navy game (at least over the past two years), Army stays in the fight for at least two quarters, usually two and a half. However, the Black Knights – last in the nation in passing yards – just don’t have the big-play capability to threaten Navy’s defense. Army also commits just enough mistakes – usually a key turnover at the wrong time – to give the Midshipmen they breathing room they need. Navy is a mediocre team, but Army is worse. The burden of proof is definitely resting on the shoulders of the Black Knights in this contest.

Who Will Win

It’s hard to pick a team that hasn’t won college football’s most traditional and time-honored rivalry since 2001. Until proven otherwise, Navy should beat Army again.

College Football Betting Pick: Navy

Texas Baylor Betting: Baylor, Texas Tussle For Big 12 Bowl Positioning

The Texas Longhorns and the Baylor Bears can’t win the Big 12. They can, however, end the Big 12 season on a very promising note and improve their bowl prospects this weekend.
Texas Longhorns @ Baylor Bears – Saturday, December 3
Sports betting line: Baylor -3
Why Texas Will Win

The college football betting  experts who are following the Big 12 Conference have to deal with different rhythms this season. The Big 12 was created in 1996 and instituted a championship game in its very first season. With 12 teams, the Big 12 formed two six-team divisions and put the winners in a winner-take-all battle for a BCS bowl berth. Now, with only 10 teams as a result of conference realignment, the Big 12 has reverted to a more traditional model in which there is no conference championship game and simply one race to the top, sans divisions. Texas and Baylor, in past years, would have been sitting home this weekend while the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State winner played Kansas State for the league title. This year, the Longhorns and Bears are playing their 12th and final regular-season game on the first weekend of December. The Big 12 wants its teams to play this weekend so that they receive adequate publicity and are not drowned out by the championship games being staged in the Big Ten, the ACC, the Southeastern Conference, and the Pac-12.
Because of this dynamic, Texas can build momentum heading into its bowl game. The Longhorns typically finished their season on Thanksgiving against Texas A&M, but because of this follow-up game versus Baylor, the Longhorns now have a chance to use the A&M game as something of an emotional springboard. Texas should be very confident now that it has survived the challenge of the Aggies before A&M heads to the SEC in 2012. This factor can’t be discounted in the buildup to kickoff.
The other reason why Texas should be seen as the favorite in this game is that Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin was knocked out of the Nov. 26 game against Texas Tech with a concussion. If he can’t play, Baylor simply won’t win.
Why Baylor Will Win
When you do your homework and assess your best best sportsbook on this game, you know that the current absence of a betting line is due to Robert Griffin’s questionable health status. If Griffin plays in this game and can be effective, the Bears have a lot more offensive weaponry than Texas. Admittedly, you might think Texas should be favored if Griffin is still out. However, Baylor might be able to win this game anyway with backup quarterback Nick Florence. Baylor rolled to a 66-point total and a comfortable win over Texas Tech with Florence manning the controls throughout the second half. Baylor has elite receivers such as Kendall Wright who will be too much for the Texas secondary.

Who Will Win

It’s a tough call. Griffin will probably not play, but that’s not a confirmed report; it’s only a hunch. However, if Griffin can’t play, Texas has the defense which can clamp down on the Bears. Take Texas, assuming Griffin doesn’t play.

College Football Betting Pick: Texas

Oklahoma Oklahoma State Betting – Oklahoma State Tries To Gain Shot At National Title

The Oklahoma State Cowboys probably felt that their national title hopes had ended when they lost to Iowa State on Nov. 18. Now, they might still have a chance at the whole enchilada.

Oklahoma Sooners @ Oklahoma State Cowboys – Saturday, December 3
Sports betting line: Oklahoma State -3.5

Why Oklahoma Will Win

The college football betting  experts who have not only followed the Big 12 Conference, but who have also studied this rivalry – known as the Bedlam Series (or just “Bedlam”) – know that Oklahoma wears the pants in this in-state showdown. Oklahoma State has sprung the occasional upset, but whenever the stakes are particularly high, OU usually comes through. The Sooners have won seven Big 12 championships since head coach Bob Stoops took over in Norman in 1999. Oklahoma also won the Big 12 South Division title in 2003. Only Texas (1999, 2001, 2005, 2009) managed to interrupt Oklahoma’s dominance in the Big 12 South, which is now history due to the Big 12’s loss of Nebraska and Colorado this season.

The point remains that Oklahoma has always outfoxed Oklahoma State whenever the two teams have met with a division title on the line. Now that the Big 12 features a non-divisional conference race, the Sooners and Cowboys are meeting for the league title and an automatic berth in a BCS bowl. Under these circumstances, the Sooners are clearly the team to be trusted. They know how to win in these situations. Before one dismisses OU’s odds in this game, one needs to realize that the Sooners played poorly after the midpoint of the 2010 season, losing to Missouri and Texas A&M to fall out of favor with national voters. Yet, when all the chips were on the table in the Big 12, OU still bested Oklahoma State in Stillwater, 47-41. The Cowboys, not the Sooners, are the team saddled with the burden of proof in this contest. Oklahoma State must show that it can escape from OU’s shadow.

 

Why Oklahoma State Will Win

When you do your homework and assess your best best sportsbook on this game, you need to account for the depleted nature of Oklahoma’s back seven on defense. Oklahoma got eviscerated this season by Texas Tech and Baylor. Yes, the Sooners lost games last year in the Big 12 as well, but those were games in which OU was still trying to find itself. The Sooners were younger and less experienced after an injury-riddled 2009 season in which few players on the team found a steady rhythm. This year, OU has still suffered injuries to key linebackers and safeties, but the Sooners were expected to be deeper and more experienced. To put the matter more precisely, Oklahoma is displaying genuine weakness, not a dip in form. Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden should be able to carve up the OU secondary, especially since he has star receiver Justin Blackmon to make plays in traffic (or on jump balls). Oklahoma State scored 41 against Oklahoma last year. It should be able to score 56 points if it plays its best game.

 

Who Will Win

It’s tempting to finally pick Oklahoma State in this rivalry, but the Sooners have a mental advantage which can’t be discounted. Bob Stoops usually rallies his players for this game, so let’s see if Oklahoma State can chase away its demons. Skepticism is the proper approach – take Oklahoma.

College Football Betting Pick: Oklahoma

Sports betting help. (terminology)

I understand parts, but not all of it. I’ll use tomorrow’s college football as an example.

Ohio St. ATS- +7.5 (-110) TOTAL O 44.5 (-110) MONEYLINE +250
Michigan ATS- -7.5 (-110) TOTAL U 44.5 (-110) MONEYLINE -300

So I understand Michigan is a 7.5 favorite (getting 7.5) and that for $110 you bet on michigan, you’ll get $100. But I don’t understand the total (what does the O and U stand for?). And I’m not completely clear on the money line. Any help is greatly appreciated.

The “total” is for the total number of points to be scored in the game by both teams. In this game, it’s 44 1/2. If you bet the over (44.5), you bet $110 to win $100, or for the same amount you can bet under 44.5 points for the game. So, 45 points, or more, scored in the game is a winner for those who bet the “over” and a loser for those who took the “under.” It’s the opposite if there are 44, or fewer, points scored in the game.

The money line is a straight bet with no points involved…. all you have to do is pick the team you think will win the game. Since Michigan is the favorite, you have to bet $300 to win $100. If you like Ohio State to win the game, you can bet $100 to win $250.

The straight bet is all about risk/reward. The more a team is a favorite, the more you have to risk to win $100. The bigger the underdog, the more you can win on a bet of $100.

You are correct that Michigan is the favorite, but this means that they are ‘giving’ 7.5, and Ohio St. is ‘getting’ an extra 7.5 points.

Moneyline is a bet on who will be the straight up winner of the game. This is reflected in the payout of +250 for OSU, you get $250 profit for every $100 you risk, plus your wager will be refunded for a total return of $350.

The total is the OVER/UNDER this means that you are betting on the total score of both teams combined.

Here is an article that explains the basics of sports betting. http://www.Sportsbook-Ratings.net/sports-betting-for-newbies

Clemson South Carolina Betting: Clemson, South Carolina Create Palmetto State Passions

The rivalry between the Clemson Tigers and the South Carolina Gamecocks is an intense one. Clemson will try to win with its offense, while Carolina will try to prevail with its defense.

Clemson Tigers @ South Carolina Gamecocks – Saturday, November 26
Sports betting line: South Carolina -4

Why Clemson Will Win

The college football betting  experts who live in the Palmetto State are perfectly aware that Clemson delivered a stink-bomb of a performance this past Saturday against North Carolina State. The Tigers, knowing that they had already locked up the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Atlantic Division championship, were simply not focused on the task at hand. They were likely looking ahead to this game against South Carolina when they lost by a 37-13 score against a decidedly mediocre foe. The sense here is that Clemson treated the North Carolina State game as an exhibition, and that the Tigers will dramatically transform themselves in this game on Saturday night against their hated rival from the Southeastern Conference. Clemson will win for two reasons: First, it has several skill people – in the backfield and on the edges – who can make plays with their speed.

The Tigers are a faster team than the Gamecocks, and that’s likely to count for something before the night is over. Second – and more important – the Tigers will win because South Carolina just can’t score a lot of points. The Gamecocks are still winning games because of their defense, but they’re simply not scoring a whole lot. South Carolina might have scored 28 points against Arkansas on Nov. 5, but seven of those points came from the defensive side of the ball on a pick-six. The Gamecocks’ offense hasn’t scored more than 21 points against a Football Subdivision Opponent over the past month. Clemson might be struggling, but this matchup works in favor of the Tigers. Clemson doesn’t need to play its best game to win; the Tigers merely need to avoid crucial, game-changing mistakes, especially from Boyd, their quarterback, who has been especially erratic over the past three weeks.

Why South Carolina Will Win

When you do your homework and assess your best best sportsbook on this game, you can’t ignore the fact that Clemson’s level of play has dramatically dropped off over the past month, beginning with an Oct. 29 loss to Georgia Tech. Ever since that game, a malaise has settled into the Clemson camp. Tajh Boyd threw two interceptions against Wake Forest on Nov. 12, but he easily could have suffered seven picks if Wake Forest defenders had better hands. Then, the roof collapsed last weekend in a 24-point blowout loss suffered against a North Carolina State team that isn’t very imposing. If South Carolina’s vaunted front four, led by freshman phenom Jadeveon Clowney, can consistently hit and rattle Boyd, the Gamecocks could get the parade of turnovers they’ll need to win this game.

Who Will Win

It’s just too overwhelming to ignore: South Carolina can’t score. Clemson is not playing well by any stretch, but unless South Carolina can finally put the pieces together on offense and hit home-run pass plays to star receiver Alshon Jeffery, the Tigers should outperform the Gamecocks and stop a two-game losing streak in this series.
College Football Betting Pick: Clemson

Arkansas LSU Betting: Arkansas And LSU Battle For Everything In The Sport

The Arkansas Razorbacks and the LSU Tigers will be playing for the SEC West championship this weekend at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They’ll be playing for a lot more, too.

Arkansas Razorbacks @ LSU Tigers – Friday, November 25
Sports betting line: LSU -12

Why Arkansas Will Win

The college football betting  experts who are discussing this game are going to be faced with a particular dilemma: Will Arkansas be mentally drained before Friday’s showdown even starts, or will the Hogs play with particular passion and pride? It’s terrible to have to bring this into a football game, but the Arkansas football family is reeling right now.

A cloud of unspeakable and unrelenting sadness fell over the Arkansas program this past weekend. One day after a 27-point thwacking of Mississippi State, the No. 3 team in the United States of America learned that its backup tight end, Garrett Uekman, died at the age of 19. The cause of death remains unknown, a fact which only deepens the grief felt by a team that has suddenly lost the reason to celebrate its successes through 11 regular-season games. Arkansas moved to 10-1 by turning back the Bulldogs from the Magnolia State, but the Hogs would much rather have Uekman in their locker room and on their practice field. As coach Bobby Petrino gathers his team before this Friday’s clash against No. 1 LSU, the sport of college football will exist in a decidedly different light. As contentious and colorful as this sport is, especially in the cauldron known that is the Southeastern Conference, the province of pigskin means precious little when compared to the life of a young man.

If there’s a portal to victory for Arkansas, it will simply be this: The Razorbacks will play for Uekman and run through a wall to try to lift up his memory in their hearts. If Arkansas uses this game as a living memorial, it could play with a level of emotion and belief that will be too much for LSU to overcome, even though the Tigers have established themselves as college football’s best team through week 12.

Why LSU Will Win

When you do your homework and assess your best best sportsbook on this game, you can simply turn back to basics and acknowledge that LSU is the best team in the sport, hands down. The Tigers have turned back Oregon. They won at Alabama in a road night game. They have a supremely fast and resilient defense, and what’s most impressive of all is that they’ve used two quarterbacks – two quarterbacks, mind you, who are not at the top of their powers – and have still committed just six turnovers all season long. LSU doesn’t beat itself, and that’s why the Tigers are in such good position to whack Arkansas on Friday.

Who Will Win

It’s been LSU’s season since the Sept. 3 rout of Oregon. Why should the Tigers stop now? Arkansas could steal away the SEC championship, but LSU won’t allow the Hogs to capture that prize.

College Football Betting Pick: LSU

Alabama Auburn Betting: Alabama And Auburn Square Off In A Hate-Filled Festival

The Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers are part of college football’s nastiest and most bitter rivalry. They will renew that rivalry this weekend with much at stake.
Alabama Crimson Tide @ Auburn Tigers – Saturday, November 26
Sports betting line: Alabama -21
Why Alabama Will Win
The college football betting  experts who have helped set this line at 21 points are expecting you to think that since Auburn got destroyed by Georgia, 45-7, and then struggled with Samford University this past weekend (in a 35-16 game that was closer than the final score indicated), the Tigers will fold against Alabama.
Those betting experts just might be right.
Alabama has taken it easy over the past two weeks. The Crimson Tide have taken it easy against Mississippi State and Georgia Southern. Coach Nick Saban’s team was mentally drained by the November 5 loss to LSU, so it didn’t play with a full tank of intensity or energy against Mississippi State on Nov. 12. Then, in preparation for this week’s game against Auburn, Alabama scheduled a cupcake – Georgia Southern – to minimize stress and strain. The Tide jogged through a halfhearted performance knowing that they need to save strength and load up the playbook for their holy-war rival from Auburn. Alabama has essentially taken two weeks off, one to recuperate from the LSU loss and one to gear up for this Auburn encounter. One shouldn’t read too much into the past few weeks for the Crimson Tide. They should be able to regroup for this game and play to the height of their capabilities. If Alabama does that, Auburn will be in huge trouble, and the 21-point spread will be met.
Why Auburn Will Win
When you do your homework and assess your best best sportsbook on this contest, you have to realize that while Alabama will play a lot harder and tougher than it has played in the past two weeks, the Crimson Tide are still not a very  good passing team. Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron simply does not have a big-league arm. He lofted way too many passes, particularly out routes, against LSU. He does not have the NFL-type arm which can exploit a poor secondary, and that’s where Auburn’s leaky defense is particularly vulnerable. To thrash Auburn by more than 21 points, you have to throw the ball against the Tigers. Alabama can’t do that, and as a result, within the tensions of this rivalry game, Auburn really could keep the proceedings interesting for four full quarters. Alabama was the much better team in 2009, the last time these two schools met on Auburn’s home field. Alabama won that game by only five points, 26-21. It seems that we’re headed for a similar outcome this Saturday.
Who Will Win
It’s definitely Alabama’s game to lose, and it’s hard to imagine the Tide failing on Saturday. Trent Richardson is too good a running back; he will get the tough yards Alabama needs to win this game. However, a blowout seems unlikely. Auburn will stay close because the Tide can’t throw. Take Alabama to win the game, but Auburn to cover.

College Football Betting Pick: Auburn