Alabama Crimson Tide at Missouri Tigers College Football Betting Preview
When the SEC moved to a conference-only schedule this season and added two games for each team, one of the contests added was No. 2 Alabama at Missouri. This is probably not how new Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz envisioned starting his Missouri tenure, but now he matches wits with Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.
The game kicks off at 7:00 pm ET on Saturday at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Mo., and will be televised on ESPN.
These teams have met six times in their history, three times since Missouri joined the SEC in 2012. Alabama won at home 39-10 in 2018 and beat the Tigers in the 2018 SEC Championship Game 42-13. They also won in Columbia in 2012 by 32 and haven’t lost to the Tigers since a 1975 season-opening neutral-site game.
Alabama Crimson Tide Betting Outlook: Back to Work
Alabama had a rare two-loss season in 2019 as it fell to the eventual national champions LSU and hated rival Auburn. Gone to the NFL are quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs plus five defensive players all selected among the first 87 picks. But Saban has a top-five recruiting class coming in, and quarterback Mac Jones got plenty of experience in 2019.
Jones completed 68.8% of his passes last season and threw for 1,503 yards while Tagovailoa was out with injuries. Jones tossed 14 touchdown passes and was intercepted just three times.
Freshmen Bryce Young and Paul Tyson, the great-grandson of Bear Bryant, will back up Jones.
Alabama received great news in the spring when running back Najee Harris bypassed the NFL Draft to return for his senior season. Harris led the Tide with 1,224 yards at 5.9 yards per carry last season while running for 13 touchdowns and adding seven more on receptions. Brian Robinson Jr. ran for 441 yards and scored five touchdowns last year.
Junior Jaylen Waddle (33 catches, 560 yards, six TDs) and senior DeVonta Smith (68 catches, 1,256 yards, 14 TDs) have the pressure to replace Jeudy and Ruggs.
The defense ranked 13th in the country last season in scoring, allowing 18.6 points per game, and has two starting linebackers to replace. True freshman Will Anderson is one to watch, as is Dylan Moses, a junior All-American who missed all of 2019 with a knee injury. Patrick Surtain II is the top returning defensive back with two interceptions last season.
Missouri Tigers Betting Outlook: Go for Broke
Drinkwitz went 12-1 at Appalachian State last season and looks to revitalize the Tigers program. He needs to fix the offense, which was 95th in the nation last season at 25.3 points per game, and the top two quarterbacks and starting tight end are gone.
Either Connor Bazelak or Shawn Robinson will start at quarterback. Bazelak tore his ACL in his only start of the 2019 season and went 15-for-21 for 144 yards.
Robinson played two seasons at TCU before transferring to Missouri. With the Horned Frogs, he threw for 1,334 yards and nine touchdowns before being injured in 2018.
Running back Larry Rountree III is back after leading the Tigers with 829 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Tyler Badle backed him up with 457 rushing yards and eight total touchdowns, and he also returns.
Wide receiver Damon Hazleton is on his third school with 133 career receptions for 1,834 yards and 20 touchdowns. He will be the top target with Angelo State transfer Keke Chism, who accounted for 2,221 career yards in Division II.
Missouri was pretty good on defense in 2019, especially against the run. Defensive tackle Kobie Whiteside is back, but the returning linemen combined only had three sacks in 2019. The Tigers’ safeties are both NFL caliber, but the starting corners are both new this season.
Alabama at Missouri Betting Lines
- Alabama spread: -28.0 (-110); Alabama moneyline: -2800
- Missouri spread: +28.0 (-110); Missouri moneyline: +1450
- Total: 56 points (Over -110, Under -110)
Alabama averaged 47.2 ppg last season, second in the nation, and it feels like Saban has something to prove in 2020. Taking on a first-year SEC head coach and coordinators is a good way for Jones, Harris and company to hit the ground running. Missouri knows it has to keep up from the get-go to have a chance.
In the last six seasons, Alabama is 29-0 straight up when favored by at least 28 points but just 13-16 ATS in those games.
Head to our favorite pay per head bookie site at www.PayPerHead247.com
Free Bet: Over 56 points (-110) By Game Advisers
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