After a slow start at home last week against Vanderbilt, Alabama fended off all the popular Vandy money, springing a fortunate late cover in the home victory. Since the Week 1 loss at FSU, it seems the Crimson Tide have hit their stride, going 4-0 SU/ATS, including a road win as an underdog at Georgia.
Now ‘Bama hits the road for the third time this season, and the number continues to drop on the home underdog. Missouri is getting a lot of respect in this spot, and in some aspects I get it. Alabama is in the midst of a key piece of the schedule, just playing Georgia and Vandy, and looking forward to hosting Tennessee next Saturday night. Meanwhile, Mizzou is yet to play a road game, and is coming off a win over UMass and a bye. The Tigers have been preparing for this clash for a while.
That said, what exactly has Missouri done to deserve being such a short underdog in this game. Through five home games, they’ve pounded three cupcake opponents, and defeated Kansas and South Carolina. The Jayhawks and Gamecocks are the only two formidable opponents the Tigers have faced, and yet Mizzou fell behind early in both games. Give credit to Eli Drinkwitz and his team for completing the comebacks, but KU and SC aren’t exactly Alabama.
This Crimson Tide roster received a lot of preseason hype as a national contender, and since getting embarrassed in the opener to FSU, they’ve looked the part. While the stats look good for Missouri, I’m not convinced it can handle a big step up in class here to Alabama. Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide are rolling right now, and after the Week 1 loss, can’t afford to overlook anymore opponents.
Ty Simpson is playing at a Heisman level right now, and I think we see that play continue on Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, we’ll see what Beau Pribula can do in his first real big test against a ferocious ‘Bama defense. I’ll take what I perceive as a discount on the Crimson Tide.
CFB Pick: Alabama -3 (-110)
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