Alabama Crimson Tide (-9.5) at Penn State Nittany Lions, Total 43.5 |
Alabama is likely to be quite motivated for this contest now that the AP Top 25 poll dropped them a spot and moved up LSU into the No. 2 spot. The Crimson Tide did nothing wrong last week in picking up a 48-7 blowout win over the Kent State Golden Flashes as 39-point home favorites.
Head coach Nick Saban is still unsure who will be the full-time quarterback for his squad, as both AJ McCarron and Philip Sims split time in the opener. The duo combined for 299 yards on 21-of-37 passing, but also tossed two interceptions apiece.
Alabama leads the all-time series, 9-5, including a slight 3-2 edge over the Nittany Lions in games played in State College, PA. The last time the school played at Beaver Stadium was during the 1989 season, coming out with a slim 17-16 win.
One of the more impressive stats for the school since Saban took over is the 14-5 record against AP Top 25 opponents over the past three seasons, which will be in play Saturday due to Penn State moving into the No. 23 spot.
Many of the team’s starters will have played in last year’s 24-3 home win over the Nittany Lions, covering the 14.5-point spread. Alabama returned 19 starters and 51 lettermen from its 2010 squad.
Running back Trent Richardson will need to bounce back from a mediocre performance, gaining just 37 yards on 13 carries last week, but he was the difference offensively in last year’s contest.
The Crimson Tide are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 non-conference games and the ‘over’ is 7-2 in those contests.
Penn State will be the Big Ten’s only team to face an SEC opponent during the regular season, looking to improve its 17-18 SU record in such games. The Nittany Lions last win over an opponent from the conference came back in the 2010 Capital One Bowl.
The team will also put its 23-game non-conference home winning streak on the line, which is the second-longest nationally, trailing only the LSU Tigers (31).
Beaver Stadium has been a “House of Horrors” for opponents, as Penn State has proven victorious in 39 of its last 45 home games at the venue. The program is 248-61 all-time at the facility since it started hosting games in 1960.
Another quarterback duo is battling it out on this sideline, as Rob Bolden and Matt McGloin both saw time on the field last week. It’s likely that tandem will split series against the Crimson Tide—due to Bolden struggling in last year’s game.
Bettors will likely back the Nittany Lions due to their 7-3 ATS mark as a home underdog, while the Crimson Tide are 0-4 ATS as a road favorite of 3.5 to 10 points.
