Texas Longhorns Money Line Pays $160
When betting on Thursday's BCS Championship game between the Texas Longhorns and Alabama Crimson Tide, one might neglect to consider a wager on the Texas money line, which at press time would pay out $160 for every $100 bet.
The money line is like making a future bet in which the underdog Longhorns would have to win outright in the title game.
The money line was available at Sports Interaction.com.
The BCS could not have delivered a more high profile matchup than this.
Texas (13-0) is seeking its second BCS championship in five years. Alabama (13-0) dominated defending BCS champion Florida 32-13 in the SEC title game Dec. 5, snapping the then-No. 1 Gators' 22-game winning streak.
"The field's still going to be 50 yards wide and 100 yards deep and how they play in that game -- I don't care what award they won, or how many All-Americans we have -- none of that stuff's going to matter when the game starts," said Alabama head coach Nick Saban. "It's going to be how we play. That's what the players need to understand.
"Unless you have success in the next game, it doesn't really matter. I can't even name anybody that's played in this game the last three years that didn't have success."
The Texas Longhorns stand a legitimate shot of winning this game.
The Scout Inc. suggests one potent plan Texas could have up its sleeve:
The best way for Texas to counter the Crimson Tide's aggressive scheme is to prove early on that it is willing and capable of burning Alabama deep. WR Jordan Shipley is McCoy's go-to target and has been extremely effective when targeted downfield (20 catches out of 25 times targeted on throws of 15-plus yards), but the offense seems to get out of sync when trying to work Shipley vertically from the slot. Instead of taking McCoy and Shipley out of their comfort zone, expect Texas to look to its inconsistent crop of complementary receivers -- Malcolm Williams, James Kirkendoll, Marquise Goodwin and Dan Buckner -- to step up in the deep passing game.
In regard to the Alabama offense vs. Texas defense:
Alabama QB Greg McElroy and his offensive line could struggle with pre-snap reads because Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp does an excellent job of disguising his fronts, coverage looks and blitzes. Muschamp has a lot of flexibility as a play-caller because DE Sergio Kindle and S Earl Thomas allow the Longhorns to switch formations without massive personnel changes. Kindle can play end or linebacker on any given play and Thomas is just as adept in the deep middle in zone coverage as he is working one-on-one against slot receivers, and he is also effective when cheating into the box to support the run. That could cause problems when the Crimson Tide are trying to get a handle on just what to expect from the Longhorns.
For those looking to bet the spread in this game, it's been all over the map the past few weeks but has shown signs of settling in just a bit. Half the online sportsbooks have Alabama as a -3 ½ favorite while the other half, including Sports Interaction.com, have Texas at +4.
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Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
