Alabama football has been enjoying a much needed week off and getting early preparation in for a massive road game next Saturday night in Baton Rouge against LSU in what will effectively be a playoff elimination game for a pair of two loss teams.
Alabama entered the bye week following an impressive 34-0 win over Missouri, while LSU limped in after losing on the road against Texas A&M.
Night games in Death Valley are never easy, but surprisingly the oddsmakers are siding with the visitors so far. Per FanDuel, Alabama opened as a slight favorite over the Tigers of LSU.
Early Betting Odds for Alabama/LSU
Spread: Alabama -2.5
Over/Under: 59.5
Much can and will change over the next week, but some early optimism on the Alabama side from the oddsmakers. I was expecting the Crimson Tide to open as a slight underdog, particularly in a night game in a hostile environment.
Alabama is 0-2 in SEC road games this year, losing to both Vanderbilt and Tennessee. They did, however, beat the Wisconsin Badgers on the road in September, but overall the Crimson Tide's road performances in league games has not inspired all that much confidence in betting on Alabama here.
It will be interesting to see the line movement over the next week before the game.