The Alabama Crimson Tide football team was at the center of College Football Playoff (CFP) controversy. When the CFP committee revealed their top four teams, they surprised many college football fans by including the Alabama Crimson Tide. They defeated the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs the day prior in the SEC Championship.
Now, they get set to take on the Michigan Wolverines. However, college football bettors seem to heavily believe in Alabama. Just how many bettors are backing the Crimson Tide? Let’s take a look.
Alabama Crimson Tide Has 89% of Bets
According to John Ewing of BetMGM, the Alabama Crimson Tide have 89% of the moneyline bets made in their game against Michigan. When you look at the handle, that percentage is even higher. About 93% of the handle in this game is on Alabama.
Two big factors could play a part in this. The first factor is how good Alabama has looked against tough competition since losing to the Texas Longhorns. They have taken down respected teams such as the Ole Miss Rebels, LSU Tigers, Tennessee Volunteers, Georgia Bulldogs, and more.
Michigan has arguably only had two tough tests in comparison. However, they won both of those games convincingly. The Wolverines took down the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Ohio State Buckeyes respectively.
The second factor is history. Alabama has a great history in the College Football Playoff. They have even won the national championship as a four-seed back in 2017. Ironically, Alabama defeated Georgia that season to win it all.
Things to Note
So, is Alabama a slam dunk to win this game? Not so fast. Just because the majority of CFP bettors are on the Crimson Tide does not mean that you should be.
Note the spread. Yes, it has gone down from the opening line. However, despite having just 21% of the handle on the Michigan side of the spread, they are still 1-point favorites.
Why are they favorites? Michigan’s total defense is a factor. The Wolverines allow the second-fewest yards per game in the country. They have also only allowed just over one touchdown per game.
On top of this, the Wolverines have a chip on their shoulder. A big part of this is the feeling that the entire college football world is against Michigan. That is because their program has been dealing with the backlash of the sign-stealing scandal. As a result, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended for the final three regular season games. However, he has returned to the sidelines since then.
Is the Alabama Crimson Tide a Trap
Most CFP bettors seem to assume that Alabama is a lock to win it all since they controversially got the nod over the Florida State Seminoles for the last spot in the CFP. However, they still have to play a very talented Michigan team with a chip on their shoulder. Do not be surprised if Michigan makes a killing for sportsbooks like BetMGM.
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