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Carrie Stroup here and if you are looking to place that bet on the Michigan vs. Alabama Saturday night College Football game, look no further than Sportsbook.com, where the line has moved up from -12 to -14.
Sportsbook.ag Line: Alabama -14 & 47
Opening Line & Total: Crimson Tide -12 & 45.5
Two national title hopefuls kick off their season in style when No. 8 Michigan and No. 2 Alabama clash Saturday night at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, TX.
The last time these powerhouses played was the 2000 Orange Bowl when Michigan won 35-34 in overtime, but Alabama is 12-0 in season openers since. Heisman-caliber QB Denard Robinson is back for the Wolverines, though Michigan’s pro-style offense limits his effectiveness as a runner. Six new defensive Tide starters need to step up immediately to try to contain the dual-threat Robinson. Alabama QB A.J. McCarron will be working with an inexperienced WR corps, and also lost star RB Trent Richardson to the NFL. Although Tide head coach Nick Saban is 33-18 ATS (65%) in September games, Wolverines head man Brady Hoke is 21-9 ATS (70%) in the first month of the season. This Alabama team has nowhere near the talent it put on the field last year, especially on defense. Michigan rushed for 222 yards per game last year, and is not a team that is turnover prone, posting a +7 TO rating last year. Expect the new Tide players to struggle early on, and keep this a close game.
Robinson actually had a better sophomore season (4,272 total yards) than last year’s junior campaign (3,349 total yards), but he finished the 2011 regular season with a bang. In the final two games -- wins over Nebraska and Ohio State -- Robinson rolled up 600 total yards of offense and nine touchdowns as his team scored 85 points. The big mystery surrounding the Wolverines offense is whether or not top RB Fitzgerald Toussaint will suit up due to legal issues. Toussaint rushed for 1,041 yards (5.6 YPC) and nine touchdowns last season, but a decision on his playing status has not yet been made. Michigan’s defense was stout in 2011, allowing just 17.4 PPG (sixth in nation) and 322 total YPG (17th in nation). The defensive line will be fierce again, and the secondary is also top-notch, returning three starters. The Wolverines went 3-1 ATS in non-conference games last year, running their record to 9-3 ATS outside the Big Ten since 2009.
Like Robinson, McCarron had his best performances late last season when he connected on 55-of-76 passes (72%) for 608 yards, 6 TD and 0 INT in his final three games, which included a BCS National Championship win over LSU. He no longer has RB Trent Richardson to keep defenses honest, but returning junior RB Eddie Lacy is no slouch. He averaged a whopping 7.1 yards per carry last season, rumbling for 674 yards and seven touchdowns. Alabama’s defense was unbelievable last year, leading the nation in scoring defense (8.2 PPG), total defense (184 YPG), rushing defense (72 YPG) and passing defense (112 YPG). Alabama is 10-3 ATS in non-conference games since 2009.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
