Florida State vs. Alabama Not an Easy Bet for Sports GamblersOpening at Florida State -2 1/2 at betED.com, the Florida State vs. Alabama game is hardly a "given" for sports bettors. Florida State, after all, holds a 2007 regular season record of 4-0 while Alabama is currently 3-1.
From GatorSports.com:
Alabama vs. Florida State
The teams: Alabama is 3-1 and ranked 22nd in the AP Poll; FSU is 2-1 and is among those receiving votes.
The plot line: The main one involves FSU coach Bobby Bowden, who attended Alabama and was on the football team before transferring to Howard. He also went to Tuscaloosa, he thought, to be offered the job that went to Bill Curry, but when he found out he was to be interviewed, Bowden walked away.
The subplots: Alabama defensive coordinator Kevin Steele coached at FSU last season ... FSU assistants Jimbo Fisher, Rick Trickett and Lawrence Dawsey coached with Nick Saban when he was at LSU ... Fisher, the offensive coordinator, has been critical of his offense. Let's see how it responds.
The crowd: This is expected to be the biggest crowd ever for Jacksonville Municipal Stadium (formerly Alltel) as the bleacher setup is bigger than it usually is for Florida-Georgia. "We could sell 100,000 if we had the seats," said Gator Bowl Association head honcho Rick Catlett. "It's the biggest demand we've ever had."
The scene: GBA members receive 10,000 tickets while the remaining 75,000 were split down the middle. Still, it is expected that Alabama fans will outnumber FSU's. "You get the feeling it's leaning towards Alabama," Catlett said. The game should be close to a Florida-Georgia feel.
The history: This is the first meeting between Bowden and 'Bama, but FSU and Alabama have played three times with the Tide winning two and tying one. This game is the brainchild of FSU athletic director Dave Hart, who made a pitch to 'Bama AD Mal Moore and brought the GBA into the mix.
The consequences: This isn't a conference game but that doesn't mean it's not important. For Alabama to lose two in a row would be devastating to the Saban for President campaign and mean the Tide would have two losses with plenty of difficult games left. If FSU falls in this one, it's time to start looking to next season.
Alabama had odds of 75 to 1 of winning the BCS Championship while Florida State had odds of 30 to 1.
Alabama had 10 t0 1 odds of winning the SEC Championship.
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Dan Shapiro, Gambling911.com
Originally published September 25, 2007 7:07 am ET
