Alabama is hosting Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon of Week 6. The game will take place at 3:30 p.m. ET in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The Crimson Tide are 10.5-point home favorites in this game on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at 55.5 points. This is a preview, prediction and pick for this Vanderbilt vs. Alabama SEC conference matchup.
Vanderbilt vs. Alabama prediction, preview
Vanderbilt Preview
The Commodores of Vanderbilt could be in for a historically great season if they keep up the momentum. Last season was a special one for Vanderbilt, highlighted by the incredible upset win against Alabama. However, at the end of the day, it only finished 6-6 on the season. This season, it already has five wins, including victories over Georgia State and South Carolina, two teams that beat Vandy last season. The Commodores are on pace to go way over last season’s win total and actually compete for a College Football Playoff spot. Diego Pavia has taken his play to an even higher level and Vanderbilt vastly improved in the trenches, allowing it to run a more consistent offense rather than rely on the big play. That being said, this game against Alabama will be by far the team’s toughest test to this point of the season.
Alabama Preview
Alabama picked up a massive win last week against Georgia. There were worries around Tuscaloosa after Alabama lost its season opener against Florida State. However, it has looked great since that loss, showing its high potential by beating Georgia on the road. However, in some ways, this will be a bigger test for Alabama. The Crimson Tide also beat Georgia last season, but lost games where they were big favorites. They were upset by Vanderbilt and Oklahoma as double-digit favorites, which is how they missed out on the College Football Playoff. This is not only a revenge game, but a chance for the Tide to prove that they can get up for Vanderbilt the same way that they got up for Georgia. Quarterback Ty Simpson has arguably been the best quarterback in the country since that loss against Florida State. They will lean on him to out-duel Diego Pavia in this contest.
Vanderbilt vs. Alabama pick, best bet
My best bet for this highly anticipated SEC matchup is the Alabama team total over 33.5 points. Despite Vanderbilt pulling off the upset last season, Alabama still scored 35 points in the game. This season, the Crimson Tide put up 73 points against ULM and 38 points against Wisconsin. They are capable of scoring in bunches with Ty Simpson throwing to the elite wide receiver duo of Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard. The Tide have not been a great running team this season, which means they should just be pushing the ball down the field against Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt ranks 88th in the nation in defensive EPA/pass and it hasn’t even had to face a great quarterback yet. LaNorris Sellers got hurt early in the team’s matchup against South Carolina, and the Commodores were able to coast on defense against backup Luke Doty.
Just last week, Utah State scored 35 points against Vanderbilt. That is a worrying sign for Vanderbilt’s defense going into this game. Kalen DeBoer will want revenge from last season and shouldn’t hesitate to run up the score late to prove his point. Also, Diego Pavia is a brilliant player, but he won’t stop chucking, even if things are going poorly. Pavia could very conceivably give Alabama a defensive touchdown or prime field position by turning the ball over if he needs to force things to get his team back into the game. Whether this is a shootout between two great offenses or a game where Alabama makes a statement, the Crimson Tide should get over their team total.
