Bookmakers Already Seeing Very Lopsided Handle On Alabama In SEC Championship
The Crimson Tide are rolling entering their tilt with the Gators
Does anybody want to bet Florida?
The first point spreads for Saturday?s SEC championship game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Florida Gators were posted a week ago.
A couple Las Vegas sportsbooks were first to the party with an opening line of Alabama -14 last week. That line was taken off the board Saturday before the Tide blasted Arkansas 52-3 and LSU upset Florida 37-34.
In turn, the spread was recalibrated and most sportsbooks around the country opened Alabama -17 this past Monday. Several shops are now dealing Nick Saban?s squad at -17.5 with a total of 74.5 points.
"Going back 25 years, this Alabama team might be the highest-rated team I?ve ever had,? South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews told NESN. "A lot of it has to do with them just blowing everybody out. That offense doesn?t quit and they keep coming. Their defense isn?t as good as it?s been, but their offense just scores, scores, scores."
Alabama has covered the spread in seven straight games and bookmakers will continue to make bettors pay a premium to lay points with the Tide.
"I opened the game -17, I?m up to -17.5, and you probably won?t believe this, but I have one bet on Florida," Andrews reported.
Say what?
"I have one $20 bet on Florida. That?s it."
The other big riser in the college football market is Clemson. The Tigers have climbed to a consensus 10.5-point favorite in the ACC Championship against Notre Dame.
"I made the game Clemson -7," Andrews explained. "I kind of like Notre Dame, but we got resistance from a lot of guys initially. I think 10.5 is a little high. The money is starting to even out."
The Irish haven?t exactly been competitive in championship-level games over the last two decades. Since 2000, Notre Dame has been outscored 188-60 in five bowl games against top-five teams. That includes their 30-3 loss to Clemson in the 2018 Cotton Bowl.
Andrews is doing his best to ignore recent history.
"Notre Dame was overrated because of their past," he said. "I?m not talking about the Knute Rockne days either. Think more Lou Holtz-era. They really had some tremendous teams and tremendous athletes. After that, there was a pretty long period like 20 years or so when they were out-recruited. They were getting these big, lumbering guys that lacked speed. (Brian Kelly) has been recruiting more guys who can play the game the way it has evolved. They?re starting to bring in better all-around athletes. That program is on the rise."
A popular narrative heading into Saturday?s showdown is that Clemson will cruise over Notre Dame in a "big game" with potential 2021 No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence back under center. Lawrence didn?t play in the teams' regular-season meeting, a 47-40 double-overtime win by the Irish in South Bend.
Notre Dame completely controlled the line of scrimmage in that game, rushing for 208 yards and holding the Tigers to just 34 yards on the ground.
"I think Clemson is the side that?s overrated due to their recent history," Andrews opined. "They?re not as good as they?ve been the last couple years. We?ve sort of automatically penciled them in at the same level. They?re not down a lot, maybe a half a step or so. It?s noticeable."
