Let’s see which team takes the win on this Alabama at Texas A&M betting preview.
College football has made it to the part of the season where former Nick Saban assistants line up to try and take down their former boss. Lane Kiffin failed a week ago, just as every other assistant has in their attempts to dethrone the king.
This game was circled on the Tide’s schedule as the big test during the offseason. The Aggies rolled through their schedule in 2020, with their lone loss coming against Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Jimbo Fisher’s team was pegged as the team that is ready to take the next step and challenge Alabama in the SEC West.
Texas A&M Aggies Team Preview
With all of that said above, the plan did not go as hoped. Kellen Mond’s eligibility ran out and left a hole bigger than most expected at the quarterback position. Sophomore Haynes King eventually won the job over the summer, but a fracture in his leg has had him sidelined since the Aggies game against Colorado early in the year.
Zach Calzada has taken over the starting duties, and between his ineffective play and a struggling offensive line, the offense has not lived up to the hype. The skill players are among the nation’s best, but Calzada hasn’t shown he can consistently find his receivers or All-SEC tight end Jalen Wydermyer, and the line hasn’t opened up the holes needed for Isaiah Spiller.
Defensively the Aggies haven’t been bad, but they haven’t lived up to the elite status most hoped for them. DeMarvin Leal is a force on the defensive line, and he makes life easier on his fellow big men. The back seven has been good when healthy, but injuries against Mississippi State left the Aggies with backups at both cornerback positions. The latter is a scary thought facing the Tide this weekend.
Alabama Crimson Tide Team Preview
Nick Saban’s number one ranked Crimson Tide comes in riding a 20-game win streak dating back to their 2019 bowl win over Michigan. The team taking the field in College Station on Saturday looks drastically different from the team that rostered a dozen first and second-round picks over the past two seasons.
This year’s version of the Tide has the Heisman front runner in a sophomore quarterback, Bryce Young (+125). The former five-star recruit has thrown 17 touchdowns and only two interceptions through the Tide’s first five games. Unlike the Aggies, the Tide’s vacancy at quarterback continues to be filled by Heisman hopefuls.
Alabama’s defense was called into question a bit after allowing Florida to crawl back into their game in Gainesville, but the Tide answered the bell against the number one ranked Ole Miss offense a week ago, getting out to a 35-0 lead before pulling some starters later in the game.
Will Anderson has looked like one of the top players in the country, but Alabama has suffered injuries opposite him after losing Chris Allen for the season in Week1 and now Drew Sanders for a few weeks with a hand injury.
Betting Preview
Sportsbooks has the line on this game set at -18, favoring the visiting Crimson Tide. The total points spread is currently sitting at 51 points.
The Aggies are on a two-game losing streak, and the Tide will likely make it a third. The A&M offense has struggled against good defenses, and Alabama brings in a great one. Add in the missing cornerbacks facing Bryce Young, and it’s a bad matchup for the Aggies.
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