Alabama Opens as 17-Point Home Favorites vs Texas A&M in Week 5
- Alabama opens as a 17-point favorite over Texas A&M in Week 2 of SEC play on Oct. 3rd
- Both teams enter the game 1-0 after being victorious in their respective season openers
- Read below for analysis and a look at potential line movement
After coming away with wins in each of their respective season-openers, Texas A&M and Alabama will square off in a huge SEC matchup.
The Tide won in much more impressive and convincing fashion than the Aggies in Week 1, and that’s reflected in the one-sided Texas A&M vs Alabama odds.
Alabama Crimson Tide vs Texas A&M Aggies Opening Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas A&M Aggies | +17 (-105) | N/A | N/A |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | -17 (-115) | N/A | N/A |
Odds taken Sep. 27
Tide Roll on Opening Weekend
Alabama has a history of slow starts in season openers. In games against Duke, USC and Virginia Tech the last few seasons, the Tide have consistently taken about a half of football to really get things rolling on their season.
On Saturday, that problem was solved for Nick Saban and co.
A Najee Harris touchdown run and a Mac Jones touchdown pass had Alabama up 14 in the first half, and before the Tigers could muster an answer, the score was 28-3 at the halftime break. A 13-point fourth quarter from Missouri wasn’t enough to rally, and the Tide would get the victory by a score of 38-19.
Harris finished the day with 98 yards and 3 scores on the ground, and Jones was an efficient 18-of-24 for 249 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith were as good as advertised on the outside, combining for 16 catches and 223 yards along with 2 scores.
Aggies Survive Opening Weekend
There wasn’t a more disappointing performance in a win than Texas A&M’s outing against Vanderbilt on Saturday. While the defense was stout, Jimbo Fisher and quarterback Kellen Mond have some significant things to fix between now and next Saturday afternoon when they travel to Tuscaloosa.
Against the Commodores, the Aggie offense could only come up with two touchdowns through three quarters, and in the fourth could only get a field goal to make it an total offensive output of 17 points. Mond was especially pedestrian, completing 17 of his 28 attempts for just 189 yards (6.8 yards per attempt).
The bright spot for the Aggies was the rushing attack. Isaiah Spiller and Ainias Smith combined for 168 yards and a touchdown on just 18 carries. That’s an encouraging sight, because with Alabama next week, the big plays will be at a premium.
Will the Line Move?
After their opening week showings, there’s no doubt that there’s going to be an overreaction to the poor Aggie game. After a 2019 season in which many felt like Mond hit a plateau, he showed no improvement at all to start 2020.
With that disappointment at the sport’s marquee position, bettors are sure to be fading the Aggies this week.
The wise move here is likely to wait and see just how much the spread inflates between now and gameday. The biggest overreactions always come after week 1, and in Texas A&M’s defense, the poor performance could be a case of opening week rust combined with this disrupted offseason.
There’s a good chance that Fisher’s team will look much better next week, and if the public jumps on Alabama and the number moves, there could be some serious Aggie value later in the week.
With four years as radio host with The Ticket Sports Network and various written contributions to publications such as Fansided, Southbound and Down, and Last Word on Sports, Jake Mitchell comes to SBD with NFL, NBA, NCAAM, NCAAF and MMA know-how you can count on.
