The college football season rolls along this week with a number of notable matchups across the Power 4 and Group of 6 ranks. The biggest game of the day in the SEC features Ole Miss and Texas in a massive matchup, between but there are other contests in the conference that promise intrigue and excitement.
One such game comes in Tuscaloosa, where we’ll see the Texas A&M Aggies take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. Kalen DeBoer’s team is coming off consecutive losses at the hands of Georgia and Tennessee, but the market still has a fair bit of confidence in the hosts to take care of business on Saturday. Below is my preview, prediction, and pick for this college football game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Alabama is a 13.5-point favorite for this matchup with the total listed at 50.5 at DraftKings Sportsbook. Let’s dig into the odds and my best bet on Saturday’s matchup, and don’t miss our complete coverage of all of the Week 8 college football action at DraftKings Network.
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Texas A&M vs. Alabama prediction
I was very down on Texas A&M in the offseason, and it turns out that the Aggies are even worse than what I thought heading into the campaign. The scouting report on Marcel Reed was that he often struggled to throw the ball when pressured and that has held true this season as Texas A&M continues to struggle to push the ball downfield. Not only are the Aggies ranked 127th in EPA per dropback and 115th in passing success rate, but Reed has six interceptions through seven games, and that includes a pair of games against Missouri State and the Citadel. Things won’t get any easier against an Alabama defense that thrives on forcing turnovers, something that Reed has been happy to oblige on plenty of occasions. Look for the Aggies inexperienced offensive line to struggle on the road in what should be a hostile environment, which could easily lead to more untimely turnovers in SEC play from Reed.
Alabama appeared to have National Championship aspirations following a very impressive 5-0 start to the campaign. However, the Crimson Tide have come back down to earth a bit following consecutive losses to Georgia and Tennessee, with the latter defeat coming in fairly convincing fashion. However, this week presents a good spot for Keelon Russell (17 total touchdowns) and company to get back on track against a defense that has allowed an average of 31 points per game in its losses in SEC play. We can expect Alabama to get out to a quick start thanks to DeBoer’s typically excellent script, and Texas A&M is not a team that has the ability to play from behind. Once the Crimson Tide establish an early lead, this should be an uphill battle for the Aggies on the road.
Texas A&M vs. Alabama best bet
Ultimately, Texas A&M has been miserable on the road this season, with the Aggies losing both of their games away from College Station by an average margin of 25 points. The hosts have a massive advantage at quarterback and they’ll be buoyed by a crowd that should be among the best that Alabama gets all season. This is a must-win spot for a team that has the chance to take out a bit of frustration on a struggling opponent. With that in mind, I’ll back Alabama to bounce back and roll through an inferior team on Saturday.