Phil Agius
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The favorites for the 2022-23 college football National Championship play their first game of the season on Saturday as the Alabama Crimson Tide host the Utah State Aggies at the Bryant-Denny Stadium at 7:30 pm ET. Let’s take a look at the odds and our expert picks for the game.
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Utah State vs Alabama odds
Odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook
Utah State Aggies vs Alabama Crimson Tide money line odds
Utah State Aggies +5000
Alabama Crimson Tide -10000
Utah State Aggies vs Alabama Crimson Tide spread odds
Utah State Aggies +41.5 -110
Alabama Crimson Tide -41.5 -110
Utah State Aggies vs Alabama Crimson Tide over/under game total odds
Over 62.5 -110
Under 62.5 -110
Utah State vs Alabama spread prediction: Utah State +41.5 (-110)
Alabama has its eyes on the National Championship after losing to Georgia in the championship game last season and sportsbooks have the Crimson Tide as clear favorites to go one better this season. Head coach Nick Saban has a new contract and his offense will be led by last year’s Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young. Bama will be without last season’s top receivers Jameson Williams and John Metchie and leading rusher Brian Robinson, who have all moved on to the NFL. They also have to replace 3 starters on their offensive line including both their tackles. There is still plenty of experience available on defense, including elite linebacker Will Anderson and their top tackler Henry To’o To’o.
Utah State won the Mountain West Conference last season and quarterback Logan Bonner returns. Aged 24, he has passed for more than 7,000 yards and 69 passing TDs in his career. The Aggies have already been in action this season, having been on the Week 0 slate, coming back from an early 14-0 deficit to Connecticut to win 31-20 — it’s not often Alabama plays a team that has a better record than they do (even if it’s 1-0!). Brian Cobbs, Calvin Tyler and Ryan Briggs shined on offense in the opening game for a team that returns only 11 starters. Utah State is well-coached, though, and picked up some talent in the transfer portal.
Utah State’s slow start last week suggests that the Aggies might have been guilty of looking ahead to this huge game but they managed to focus after falling behind. Alabama is now in a similar position with Texas next on its schedule. Since 2013, Alabama has been a favorite of 5 or more touchdowns 28 times. They Crimson Tide have won all of those games but they covered the big spreads in only 10 games. With the potential for Alabama to take out its stars if the game is safe in the second half, the Aggies have a live chance to cover this spread, which opened at 31 and has already risen by more than 10 points.
Be sure to check out our Utah State vs Alabama predictions
Utah State vs Alabama over/under prediction: Over 62.5 (-110)
Utah State struggled to stop the run in its opening win over Connecticut, allowing several big gains on the ground, and it’s hard to say what they achieved in terms of pass defense, either, as UConn managed just 119 passing yards after their quarterback was injured early in the game. Alabama should showcase some new talent in Tyler Harrell (523 yards with Texas last year), Jermaine Burton (497 yards with Georgia), and Jahmyr Gibbs (1,216 yards from scrimmage with Georgia Tech) and they should be confident of building a healthy lead by halftime.
Their onslaught should ease off in the second half, though, especially after Young is taken out, with two freshmen coming in behind him. Last season Utah State averaged 31.4 points per game which ranked 34th in the country, so they should also be able to contribute to the total.
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