College Football Betting – Florida/Alabama Preview & Picks
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Will any online sportsbook event generate more interest this week than Florida/Alabama? I seriously doubt it, especially since this 1-versus-2 matchup is not just the SEC title game but the real national title game in some people’s eyes. These two teams gave us a classic last year, with Florida winning 31-20.
Will history repeat itself in this year’s battle of undefeated teams?
(1) Florida Gators vs (2) Alabama Crimson Tide
Saturday, December 5, 4:00 p.m. ET
Florida Alabama odds favorite: Florida -4.5
There’s just so much to enjoy in Saturday’s matchup. Obviously, we have a berth in the BCS title game at stake, though there’s the tiniest possibility that both these teams could wind up in that game anyway. We’ll also see two Heisman candidates duke it out, as Florida frontrunner Tim Tebow aims for his second trophy and Alabama’s Mark Ingram tries to run his way to glory.
Florida’s offense isn’t absolutely perfect but it certainly does enough to win in Tebow’s capable hands. With a 17:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio plus 796 rushing yards for 13 touchdowns, Tebow is Florida’s offense. The quarterback had 98 more carries than any other Gator. He has decent weapons in the passing game too with Riley Cooper and Aaron Hernandez.
Alabama’s offense is all about Ingram; he was a monster for most of the year, running for 1,429 yards and 12 scores while averaging 6.5 yards per carry. It’s concerning, however, that Ingram got stuffed against Auburn in the Iron Bowl, running for a putrid 30 yards on 16 carries. Quarterback Greg McIlroy picked up the slack, throwing for two scores, but the Crimson Tide need everyone to click on offense to have a shot against the tough Gator defense. Florida ranked first in the nation, never allowing more than 20 points in a game, with linebacker Brandon Spikes leading the way. It’s pretty tough to do anything against a defense that returned every starter from its 2008 national title year.
Then again, Alabama plays phenomenal “D” too, cracking the national top five in both pass defense and run defense and forcing turnovers galore, so Florida has no picnic ahead. Neither do bettors, apparently. These teams match up very evenly, so what can be the deciding factor in our football picks?
Indirectly, it may be McIlroy, because the pressure may fall on him again to keep Alabama in the game. Directly, Florida’s run “D” should decide this matchup, stacking the box against Ingram and forcing ’Bama to air it out. In a passing shootout, the Crimson Tide just don’t have the horses to hang with Tebow and the Gators. Expect a fun day of football but go with Florida in your college football betting.
Pick: Florida -4.5
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