Alabama vs Florida Opening Odds – Crimson Tide 14-Point Favorites in Week 3 Trip to the Swamp

• No. 1 Alabama travels to No. 11 Florida in Week 3 on Saturday, September 18th
• The Crimson Tide have opened as two-touchdown favorites at the Swamp
• Read below for the full opening odds and projected line movement

It’s a rematch of the 2020 SEC Championship game when Alabama and Florida faceoff in Week 3 of the 2021 College Football season on Saturday, September 18th. The Crimson Tide have opened as 14-point favorites.

Both Alabama and Florida are 2-0 entering conference play at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The Gators covered the spread in last year’s battle.

We layout the opening odds and tell you which direction the line is likely to move.

Alabama vs Florida Week 3 Opening Odds

Odds as of Sept 12th at DraftKings.

Tide Show Signs Of Weakness

If one thing’s clear after the first two weeks of the 2021 College Football season, it’s that this ain’t the same Alabama team from a year ago. The Crimson Tide are 2-0 entering SEC play, but they failed to cover the large 54-point spread in a 48-12 win over Mercer in Week 2.

Alabama started slow offensively against the Bears, punting in back to back drives. Bryce Young and the offense eventually got going, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing.  The Tide committed nine penalties for 96 yards and the defense got burned by Mercer QB Fred Payton on a couple big plays.

The big news from the victory was that star linebacker Will Anderson Jr. left the game with a right knee injury. He’s questionable against Florida, according to coach Nick Saban. Alabama was also without starting cornerbacks Josh Jobe and Jalyn Armour-Davis against Mercer.

Gators Have QB Controversy 

Although Alabama had hiccups in Week 2, the quarterback position was not among the concerns. The same can’t be said for Florida after a 42-20 victory over USF in Week 2. Starting QB Emory Jones was outplayed by backup Anthony Richardson for the second straight week. The two pivots shared playing time in the victory.

Jones, a redshirt junior, has thrown four interceptions on 49 passing attempts against inferior opponents FAU and USF. The freshman Richardson is yet to commit a turnover and impressed against the Bulls. The youngster completed three pass attempts for 152 yards and two TDs, while rushing for an additional 115 yards on four carries.

The Gators are also dealing with injury concerns entering Week 3. Richardson appeared to pull his hamstring against USF, while OT Jean Delance also suffered an injury. Coach Dan Mullen didn’t have injury updates after the game, but stated that Jones will be the starting quarterback against Alabama.

Expected Line Movement 

Florida gave Alabama everything they could handle in the 2020 SEC Championship Game, but these are two completely different teams. The Gators have lost Kye Trask and Kyle Pitts, while the Tide no longer have Mac Jones, Najee Harris and DeVonta Smith. The difference is that Alabama is much better at restocking the pipeline.

Gameday😁#RollTide #BamaGameday pic.twitter.com/HfmUFaM8SD

— Alabama Athletics (@UA_Athletics) September 11, 2021

Alabama has been the more impressive team through the opening two games and should receive most of the public money leading up to kickoff. The Gators are yet to cover the spread this season and are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games vs the Crimson Tide. The total is also likely to increase with both teams boasting potent offenses.

Injury news could move the line a bit in either direction, but the Tide are still the No.1 ranked team in the country. Bet Alabama now if you like the Crimson Tide, but wait it out if you like the Gators as home underdogs. Alabama could be favored by around 16 points come Saturday in Gainesville.