If you bet on NCAA football, you may think that Mississippi State is one of the biggest surprises in the country, and you’ll probably be right. But the Bulldogs have a tall order in front of them on Saturday night when they head to Tuscaloosa, where they’ll face an Alabama team who will be angry after seeing their chances at a BCS-title repeat go up in smoke last week.
Mississippi State Alabama Betting – Saturday, November 13th, 7:15 PM ET
The No.19 Bulldogs (7-2, 3-2) won their sixth straight game with a 24-17 victory at home against Kentucky, forcing four turnovers out of the Wildcats. Chris Relf was 7-of-16 for 111 yards and a touchdown, while adding 79 yards and the game-winning score on the ground. Vick Ballard ran for 103 yards and a touchdown for the Bulldogs, who had 214 yards on the ground, but were still outgained 347-325. Their defense was opportunistic, picking off Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline three times, and all football betting players know that if you win the turnover battle, you’re likely to come away with a win.
The No.12 Crimson Tide (7-2, 4-2) fell just short in a 24-21 loss to LSU in Baton Rouge, and it burns even more because Alabama coach Nick Saban, who won a national title at LSU in 2003, was outcoached by counterpart Les Miles, who called a fake punt in the fourth quarter. The Crimson Tide also had a couple of turnovers which didn’t help their cause, and they were outgained 433-325. Greg McElroy was 21-of-34 for 223, two touchdowns and a pick, while Mark Ingram ran for 97 yards and a score for the Crimson Tide, whose defense went soft early in the fourth quarter and allowed LSU to take over.
If you’re a fan of defense, this will be well worth the price per head if you have a ticket to the game, where the Crimson Tide are a 13.5-point favorite. Both teams are ranked in the top 10 nationally in terms of scoring defense (Alabama is fifth, Mississippi State is ninth), so it should be a low-scoring affair. The Crimson Tide are 5-2 SU in their last seven at home against the Bulldogs, but only 2-5 ATS, and while we think Alabama will win the game, we think Mississippi State to keep it to within a touchdown. The Bulldogs are 71st against the pass, but we don’t know if the Crimson Tide can take advantage of it. McElroy hasn’t been as sharp as he was in last year’s run to the national title, and that’s partly because the running game hasn’t been as strong. We’re taking Alabama to win straight up, but go with Mississippi State if you want to go against the online sports betting spread.
