Tennessee vs. Alabama Spread Pick
The Alabama Crimson Tide are once again a huge favorite on Saturday. This time the Tide will be in Knoxville for a meeting with SEC foe Tennessee at 3:30 p.m. ET. Will the Vols cover as a large home dog or is ‘Bama the safer bet?
Game Snapshot
335 Alabama Crimson Tide at 336 Tennessee Volunteers
12:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, October 20, 2018
Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tennessee
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Crimson Tide are 28.5-point favorites to beat the Volunteers. The total, meanwhile, sits at 57.5 points. As of this writing, 57% of the public betting tickets wagered on this matchup are on the Crimson Tide.
Alabama Crimson Tide
AL.com’s Michael Cassagrande passes along that Alabama sophomore QB Tua Tagovailoa (knee) “looked fine” during Tuesday’s practice. Tagovailoa has been dealing with a slight knee issue over the past few weeks, but it’s not something that’s expected to prevent him from starting. Expect the sophomore star to be out there taking opening snaps against Tennessee on Saturday unless matters take an unexpected downturn.
Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee redshirt senior LB Jonathan Kongbo has been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL. Kongbo (6’5/254) tore the ACL in his right knee during Saturday’s upset win over Auburn. Now that he’s been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign, his collegiate career has come to an end. The redshirt senior initially signed on with Tennessee as the top JUCO recruit in the 2016 class. His most productive season in Knoxville came in 2017, when he registered 29 tackles and 2.5 sacks while making 10 starts. For the current campaign, Kongbo had started five of six games while compiling 11 tackles and an interception prior to suffering the unfortunate knee injury against the Tigers. Over the summer, Draft Analyst’s Tony Pauline pegged the linebacker — he began his time with Tennessee as a defensive end before shifting to OLB this offseason — as a likely undrafted free agent for the spring. Sophomore Deandre Johnson came in for Kongbo after he left Saturday’s game and could be in line for an expanded workload now that the Vols are having to reexamine their options in the front seven.
Betting Trends
Alabama
The Crimson Tide are 2-5 against the spread in their last seven road games and are 2-6 against the number in their last eight conference games.
Tennessee
The Vols are 1-5 against the spread in their last six home games and 0-4 at the betting window in their last four games following a win.
Prediction
Two weeks Alabama traveled to Arkansas and gave up a brutal backdoor cover when they allowed the Razorbacks to score in the final minute. Following the game, Nick Saban expressed frustration with his defensive and special teams units and last week, both played exceptionally well versus Missouri. The Crimson Tide has held four of its last five opponents to a season-low in yards so it stands to reason Alabama’s defense is rounding into Saban-esqe form. We already know Tua and company will move the ball at will and with ‘Bama coming off its best defensive performance in conference play, I feel comfortable laying the points.
College Football Prediction: Alabama Crimson Tide -28.5