Sportsbook Odds – Defending National Champions Try To Bounce Back

TheAlabama Crimson Tide won 19 straight games, but that streak came to an end last Saturday. Now, Nick Saban’s team will try to re-establish itself against Ole Miss as they are a 20.5 favorite on the sportsbook odds.

Ole Miss Rebels @ Alabama Crimson Tide

Saturday, October 16th – 9:15 PM ET
Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL
Broadcast: ESPN2

[Off topic: by the way, do you want to get a 55% bonus on your first deposit here at BetOnline? Find out more exciting details HERE.]

NCAAF Betting Lines:

Ole Miss +20, Alabama -20
Total: 55

Over the past one and a half years, no one’s been better in college football than the University of Alabama’s football team. That spell of dominance was broken last weekend, however.

Now, we’ll see how the Crimson Tide respond to their first real taste of on-field adversity since the 2009 Sugar Bowl smack down endured at the hands of the University of Utah.

Sportsbook Odds: What Ole Miss Has To Do To Win

Ole Miss has averaged 48.5 points in its last two games, a pair of wild, high-flying victories that have reduced the rancor in a locker room that was reeling after a 1-2 start to the season which included losses to Jacksonville State and Vanderbilt.

Rebel quarterback Jeremiah Masoli hasn’t completed tons of passes during this two-game binge, but he’s made them count. The field general for the Rebels’ offense has thrown five touchdown passes the past two weeks while tossing just one interception.

Masoli’s increased wisdom under center has allowed the Rebels to keep defenses on the field, paving the way for running back Brandon Bolden to power the ball between the tackles. Bolden has rushed for a total of 336 yards in his last two games, leading the charge for a renewed Ole Miss offense.

If the Masoli-Bolden duo can make its presence felt against a young Alabama defense that is coming off a shaky effort against South Carolina, the Rebels will make this game very interesting.

Sportsbook Odds: What Alabama Has To Do To Win

The Crimson Tide lost to South Carolina in large part because of two primary factors: First, their receivers and defensive backs both got outplayed to a significant extent.

Quarterback Greg McElroy got sacked eight times, but most of those sacks were coverage sacks. McElroy does need to learn to throw the ball away instead of eating big losses, but the point still stands that Bama’s receivers didn’t perform that well.

The same principle applies to defensive backs who regularly got beaten by South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery. This week against Ole Miss and for the rest of the season as well, Bama’s skill people on the edges – and its back line of defense – must both perform at a much higher level.

This team’s offensive line is solid, and it really didn’t play that poorly at South Carolina. It’s on the perimeter and in the defensive backfield where this team must get better. Ole Miss needs to see a faster team near the sidelines, and 30 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

Sportsbook Odds: Outlook & Pick

Ole Miss simply does not exist in the same weight class as Alabama. The Rebels have a soft underbelly, and while they’ve looked much better in recent weeks, they still haven’t beaten a truly formidable opponent.

They fattened up on Fresno State and Kentucky. Alabama represents an entirely different kind of opponent, and the Crimson Tide –smarting from their recent setback –will come out of the gate roaring with energy. Ole Miss will get smacked around in Tuscaloosa. Take ‘Bama minus the points.

Sportsbook Odds Pick: Alabama -20