Alabama vs Utah State Betting Preview
In the next game of our Countdown to Kickoff series, Sportsmemo handicapper JM Sports takes a look at Alabama vs Utah State on September 5. Utah State opened up the season last week beating UConn 31-20.
Find free NCAAF picks all season long!
The GoldSheet has been the industry standard for providing NFL and College Football betting information for the last six decades. Take advantage of early-bird pricing before the season kicks off, with detailed write-ups and stat logs on every NFL and NCAAF game this season.
Saturday, September 3 | College Football Betting Notes |
---|---|
Point Spread: | Alabama Crimson Tide -41.5 vs Utah State Aggies |
Total: | 62.5 (Over -110 / Under -110) |
Kickoff: | 7:30pm ET / 4:30pm PT |
Venue: | Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, AL |
TV: | SEC Network |
Alabama vs Utah State Analysis
The #1 team in the nation starts their year off against Mountain West opponent, Utah State. This is just the 2nd time these two teams have faced off, with the most recent coming in 2005, when Alabama won 35-3.
Alabama has won 20 straight season openers, but this is the first time since 2011 that they have opened their season at home, at Bryant-Denny Stadium. This is the first time since 2017 that Alabama has played a Mountain West opponent, but they have had much more success than Utah States 1-18 all-time record against the SEC.
Aggies Coming Off Mountain West Championship
Although, Utah State has posted an 11-4 ATS record against non-conference opponents since 2018, and they are 2-1 as a road dog of 14 or more points.
They are also coming off an impressive 11-3 record last year, where they ended the season winning eight of the last nine games, including a 33 point win as a dog in the MWC championship vs. (19) San Diego State and a win over Oregon State in their bowl game.
Both these teams return 12 starters, but Utah State holds the advantage on offense with seven returning starters. The Aggies return their QB and their leading rusher, and while they lose five of their top six receivers, they add a big transfer from Maryland to bolster a depleted receiving core.
On defense, Utah State loses four of their top five tacklers, but they add some big power-5 conference transfers.
Alabama Poised For SEC Championship Repeat
The difference, the talent that is returning among those 12 players, and the next man up mentality that Alabama always thrives upon. They always have players ready to step up and they are accustomed to losing a multitude of players in the NFL draft every year.
Alabama returns their Heisman winning QB, who is over half way to the Alabama passing record, and threw for nearly 4,900 yards in his redshirt freshman season. Yet, they lose their leading rusher and five of their top six receivers.
Their defense on the other hand, looks to have high hopes this season, as they took a slight step backwards last year, but now they return six of their top eight tacklers on defense, including their top four tacklers and they add some big name transfers to solidify the secondary.
Alabama vs Utah State Prediction
Utah State was a better team than they were chopped up to be last season, and Alabama is 0-5 ATS in their last five games where they were a favorite of 40 or more points! While I still think Alabama will run the table, in the regular season, 42 points on a team that was 11-3 LY, and dominated their last game against a top-25 team.
Prediction: Utah State Aggies +41.5
Interested in placing a bet on this Alabama vs Utah State Week 1 showdown? Caesars Sports is offering up to a $1,500 risk-free bet for first-time deposits in New Jersey, West Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Virginia, Tennessee, Arizona, New York and Louisiana.
Sportsmemo Today | NFL Season Preview
JM Sports joins Dan Neubert and Dr Chuck on Sportsmemo Today to discuss the NFL futures market, and the Week 1 betting lines.
**************************************************
Meet the Author
Jeff’s hunger for handicapping began at a young age being surrounded by parents that made sports betting a daily routine. Hoping to follow in the footsteps of other Cleveland handicappers like Marc Lawrence, Phil Steele, Ralph Michaels, Ed Meyer and Bryan Leonard, Jeff started his sports betting career working for both Northcoast Sports and Phil Steele Publications learning the intricacies of sports betting and becoming a profitable handicapper. Through out his college years, Jeff’s mathematical and analytical prowess helped him develop a betting strategy that turned sports betting into a profitable venture, where he focuses on the NFL, college football, NBA, college basketball and MLB while showing strong results in the WNBA.
Looking for more free sports picks and sports betting tips?
- Latest Betting Odds and Public Action: Vegas lines updated in real time, including who the public is betting on.
- Last Minute Handicapping Advice: Check out our extensive library of handicapping tips and advice from professional Vegas handicappers (we also recommend taking the time to look over our sports betting tips video library)
- Want an expert opinion? Check out the latest Free Sports Picks and Best Bets from our team of expert sports handicappers.
Make sure to bookmark all the above!