The kickoff for this week 1 matchup between the Crimson Tide and Wolverines takes place at 5:00 ET at Rose Bowl. ESPN will be carrying the television coverage for this ALA vs. MICH shodown. Michigan arrives for this non-conference game against the Wolverines as the 1.5 point road favorite. Keep reading to find out my insights and suggestions for your bets.

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE VS MICHIGAN WOLVERINES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Alabama Crimson Tide +1.5

This game will be played at Rose Bowl at 5:00 ET on Monday, January 1st.

WHY BET THE ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 24-23 in favor of Michigan.
  • Even though we have Michigan winning straight-up, we like Alabama at +1.5.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 45.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 47 points.

Will the Alabama Defense Show Up on the Road?

So far, the Alabama Crimson Tide are 12-1, including going 5-0 on the road and 6-1 at home.

Against the spread, Alabama has gone 8-4 this season. The Crimson Tide have been favored 11 times compared to one game as the underdog.

This season, Alabama has an over/under record of 8-4. Their games have, on average, produced a combined total of 53.5 points, with the typical over/under line being 51.3 points.

The Crimson Tide are currently ranked 12th in college football with 509 rushing attempts per game. In terms of rush yards, they are at 175.1 rushing yards per game, which is 29th in the nation. Looking at their production in the passing game, they are averaging 23.2 attempts per game and gain an average of 228.5 passing yards. Overall, they hold the 14th spot with 35.1 points per game.

Defensively, the Crimson Tide defense has come up with 39 sacks this season and are 1st in quarterback hurries. Overall, they are allowing 18.4 points per contest (67th). Against the pass, they are 39th in the NCAA, having allowed 188.8 passing yards allowed per game. Alabama is giving up 124.5 rushing yards per contest.

Can the Wolverines Pull Out the Win as Home Favorites?

As they enter this week’s game, Michigan holds a record of 13-0. In this season, they’ve played six road games and seven home games.

Michigan heads into this week’s matchup with an ATS record of 7-5-1. So far, they have been favored in every game and have an average scoring margin of +27.2 points per contest.

This season, Michigan has posted an over/under record of 7-6 through 13 games. On average their games have combined for 46.2 points.

The Wolverines’ offense is set to face Alabama while averaging 162.9 rushing yards per game and 4 yards per attempt. In the national rankings, they currently stand at 48th for rushing yards and 60th for passing yards, with an average of 218.8 yards per matchup. Overall, Michigan is putting up 36.7 points per game, which is 10th nationally.

The Michigan defense, going into this week’s game, holds 47th place for points allowed, allowing 9.5 points per game. Opponents have been gaining an average of 152.6 passing yards each game against them (13th in the country). On the ground, they’re yielding 87.1 rushing yards, ranking them 10th in college football.