Alabama Listed as 7-Point Favorite Over Michigan in Citrus Bowl Opening Odds

• Alabama (10-2) is a 7-point favorite over Michigan (9-3) in the Citrus Bowl
• This is the first time Alabama has missed the College Football Playoff since its inception
• This is Michigan’s third SEC opponent in their last four bowl games

Two teams that just finished their seasons in disappointing fashion are set to meet in the Citrus Bowl.

The Crimson Tide and Wolverines both lost in unique, excruciating fashion to their arch rivals, but the Michigan vs Alabama odds suggest that Nick Saban’s team will rebound and grab a big bowl victory.

Michigan vs Alabama odds

Odds taken Dec. 9th

Unfulfilling Seasons

The Wolverines were solid once again in 2019, but it was again a season in which Jim Harbaugh was unable to crack the top of the Big Ten conference. Michigan finished 9-3, with losses to Wisconsin (35-14), Penn State (28-21), and Ohio State (56-27).

One of the biggest talking points all year surrounding Michigan was once again the inefficiency of the offense. Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis became a huge name for all the wrong reasons, and Shea Patterson’s number display the inconsistencies on that side of the ball.

He threw for 2,828 yards this season, completing just 57.3% of his attempts and finishing with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 22-6.

The Tide’s season ended in far more unique fashion for the folks in Tuscaloosa. After a season-ending injury to Tua Tagovailoa and a loss to rival Auburn, Alabama will miss the College Football Playoff for the first time since its inception.

Of course, a 10-2 season is still an indicator of a strong team. Najee Harris was outstanding this season, averaging 5.9 yards per carry on his way to a 1,088 yard, 11-touchdown campaign.

This team also fielded what may have been the best receiving corps in Alabama history. Jerry Jeudy, DeVonta Smith, Henry Ruggs, and Jaylen Waddle made up what may have been the most electric group in the nation this year.

Will Anyone Sit Out?

One of the bigger topics around bowl season has become whether or not key players will elect to sit out of the bowl game.

For Alabama, this is obviously the first time in many years that they’ve been in a bowl without a chance to win a championship. The Tide have numerous players with NFL potential, but it is currently unclear who specifically will and won’t sit out of the Citrus Bowl.

“I’m sure guys are going to make individual decisions based on their circumstance and their situation, but who we want to focus on is the guys who want to look to the future and look to trying to improve themselves as players and improve our team in getting back to the standard that we want to play to,” Saban said. “So this is something that has been a bit of an issue in the past with other programs and teams. We haven’t experienced it in a while. We’ll see what happens with this group.”

It is obvious, however, that Saban and the ones who do choose to play are focused on not letting that loss in Auburn be the lasting memory of 2019.

Will the Line Move?

Motivation is always one of the bigger factors in bowl games, but in this case, the motivations are very similar. Each is a proud program that wants a win in a bad way after losing to their main rivals. Each team feels they are playoff-caliber, but missed the boat with a few key mistakes.

However, history shows that Harbaugh’s team may be in for a rough New Year’s Day. This will be their fourth SEC opponent in their last five bowl games, and that trend is not a good one for the Wolverines. They are 1-2, with the most recent outing being a 41-15 loss to Florida a year ago.

Alabama will be the best team Michigan has seen in the postseason under Harbaugh, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see bettors hammer the Tide.