Saturday Blitz
Fansided

College Football Betting Lines: Can Wisconsin cover spread vs Alabama?

By Nate Jacobson

facebooktwitterreddit

College football betting season is upon us and we look at the point spread in the Wisconsin-Alabama game and wonder if the Badgers can cover vs. the Tide.

Wisconsin and Alabama open the season on Saturday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Like most college football games in Week 1 there are a lot of questions surrounding both teams.

The last time we saw Alabama play they were stunned by Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl for the College Football Playoff. They are replacing starting quarterback Blake Sims and wide receiver Amari Cooper this season.

More from Alabama Crimson Tide

Wisconsin replaces an offensive star of their own in Melvin Gordon. There is also a new coach in Madison as former offensive coordinator Paul Chryst is returning to the school to replace Gary Andersen.

Alabama is between a 10 and 11-point favorite for this game depending where you look. It would be asking a lot of Wisconsin to win this game straight up, and they probably could afford to lose this one with a favorable schedule the rest of the way. The question to look at is will the Badgers cover the point spread?

We know what we will get from Wisconsin. They will look to run the ball and slow the game down. Corey Clement has waited his turn and now is the main running back for the Badgers. Wisconsin will rely on a strong defense to keep the game close so the offense is able to run the ball.

The last thing Wisconsin wants is to start to trail by a margin and rely on quarterback Joel Stave to make plays with his arm. Last year the Big Ten Championship Game got out of hand after as Ohio State scored early and often to take a 38-0 halftime lead over Wisconsin. The good news for Wisconsin is the Alabama’s offense isn’t near what Ohio State could do last December in Indianapolis.

Alabama’s offense figures to get better as the season progresses but now there is a lot to replace for Lane Kiffin’s unit. The depth chart for Week 1 didn’t answer any questions on who will start a quarterback. Alabama has two solid running backs in Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake but there are questions at wide receiver now with Cooper gone.

Last year both these teams played at neutral sites to open the season. Alabama wasn’t even close to covering a massive 27-point spread against West Virginia, and won by 10 points. Wisconsin squandered at 17-point lead to LSU in Houston. Alabama has failed to cover the spread in the game following their last three straight up losses.

I think the line is fair for this game and don’t have a strong opinion on either side. Alabama has the potential to blow the game open if they can figure out their offense. However, I see this being a closer game and could see Wisconsin covering if they play a clean game with no turnovers. This game should be fun to watch and will be a good way to learn about both teams before conference play begins.

Next: Ranking Every Big Ten Teams Strength of Schedule

More from Saturday Blitz

Home/Alabama Crimson Tide