Alabama Crimson Tide (0-0) vs Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (0-0)
Game Info: Saturday, September 2, 2023 at 7:30 pm (Bryant-Denny Stadium)
Betting Odds: Alabama Crimson Tide -39.5 -- Over/Under: 54.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders will play the Alabama Crimson Tide in a non-conference game on Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Alabama comes into this season ranked #4 and will look to get back into the College Football Playoff after missing out last season.
Middle Tennessee Preview
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders went 8-5 last year and they were 4-4 in Conference-USA. Middle Tennessee played well to start the season and to end the season, but struggled in the middle. The Blue Raiders went 1-4 in the middle of the season and they allowed 35+ points in the four losses. Middle Tennessee did finish the season by winning three regular season games and the Hawaii Bowl against San Diego State by a score of 25-23. Nick Vattiato will be the quarterback for the Blue Raiders, but he did not get much playing time last season. Middle Tennessee does return their leading rusher, but they lost a lot of production at wide receiver. The Blue Raiders had some major issues on defense last season, but they did a good job of forcing turnovers. No matter what adjustments they made, the defense will be in for a long day here.
Alabama Preview
The Alabama Crimson Tide were 11-2 last season and they went 6-2 in SEC play. Alabama lost to Tennessee by a score of 52-49 and LSU by a score of 32-31 in overtime. The Crimson Tide did finish the regular season with three straight wins and they won the Sugar Bowl by a score of 45-20 against Kansas State. Alabama hasn’t announced who will start at quarterback for this game, but they will definitely miss Bryce Young here. This Alabama team has a few question marks offensively, but they are Alabama and I expect them to be just fine. The Crimson Tide will need their offensive line to set the tone and this is a great matchup to do that in. Alabama’s defense was solid for most of the year, but they did have a couple of games that they struggled in. This is a great matchup for Alabama and I expect the defense to play very well.
Alabama Crimson Tide Team Facts
- Alabama has won each of its last 20 games at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
- Alabama has covered the spread in each of its last four September home games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Alabama has won the first quarter in nine of its last 10 games against non-conference opponents.
- Alabama has won the first half in 11 of its last 12 games against non-conference opponents.
- Four of Alabama's last five games at Bryant-Denny Stadium have gone UNDER the total points line.
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Team Facts
- Middle Tennessee has lost each of its last five road openers.
- Middle Tennessee has covered the spread in six of its last seven games against non-conference opponents.
- Middle Tennessee has lost the first half in five of its last six games against opponents from the Southeastern Conference.
- Four of Middle Tennessee's last five games have gone OVER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- Alabama ranked 4th among FBS teams for points per game last season (41.1).
- Alabama ranked T5th among FBS teams for Q2 win percentage last season (.769).
- Middle Tennessee ranked T30th among FBS teams for Q1 win percentage last season (.538).
- Middle Tennessee ranked T32nd among FBS teams for Q1 points per game last season (7.6).
Pick
Alabama comes into this game as a massive favorite to win, but I am interested to see what they do with the quarterback position. It really shouldn’t matter what direction they go in for quarterback in this game, but whoever it is needs to get comfortable, as they face Texas next week. Middle Tennessee had a solid season last year, but this is not a good spot for them. It is tough to pick a team that is favored by close to 40 points, but that is what I am going to do. Alabama has some question marks that they need to figure out, so I think they are going to play hard for most of the game. Take Alabama to win big.
David’s Pick Alabama -39.5
AUTHOR: David Racey
Mitch's Take...
