This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
College Football Picks: Texas vs. Alabama Best Bets
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After two of college football's most historic programs handled business last week against far inferior opponents, the Longhorns and Crimson Tide are set to go head-to-head in the second act of this Home-and-Home series. Last year, we saw Alabama narrowly escape Darrel K Royal Texas-Memorial Stadium with a 20-19 win as Ewers got knocked out of the game early, and both defenses seemed to dominate the opponent. This year, the Longhorns bring back a large portion of the team we saw in 2022, with starters returning on defense and all starters except top-drafted running back Bijan Robinson returning on offense. For the Crimson Tide, it is quite a different story as they have quite a bit of overturn on both sides of the ball, including captains Bryce Young and Will Anderson, who went first and third, respectively, in last year's NFL Draft.
Texas vs Alabama Betting Odds for Week 2
Spread: Texas +7.5 (DraftKings Sportsbook); Alabama -7 (BetMGM)
Total: Over 53.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)/Under 54.5 (BetMGM)
Moneyline: Texas +235 (DraftKings Sportsbook); Alabama -275 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
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Texas vs Alabama Betting Picks for Week 2
Following last year's 20-19 Alabama win, there are many things we can draw from but obviously some major differences in these teams from a year ago. One huge difference is the fact that Quinn Ewers was knocked out of the game very early on, and two of the best players in college football from a year ago, Bryce Young and Will Anderson, will not be on the field. However, what we did see last year was a struggle offensively from both sides. The Texas offense from a year ago has mostly remained intact and grown since that game; add Quinn Ewers back into the mix with that explosive receiving corps, and things may turn out differently. Alabama, on the other hand, saw their receivers and offensive line struggle mightily while also continually hurting themselves with bad penalties. Not even the reigning Heisman trophy winner could overcome that. The mostly unchanged Alabama wide receiver corps has seemed to grow from where they were a year ago, if a game against Middle Tennessee State is anything to draw from, and the same can be said for the offensive line. Will the growth of these two groups from last year shine through? I would expect it to, but one of the big things from a week ago that can be said for both Texas and Alabama is those defenses looked ferocious. This spread may be a little inflated after the impressive opening game from the Crimson Tide last week, but despite the explosive nature of both of these offenses, the best bet here is the under.
Texas vs Alabama Expert Pick: Under 51.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
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Texas vs Alabama Predictions for Week 2
While both offenses have seemed to grow in areas from a season ago, there are still some vulnerabilities. For the Longhorns, despite having a deep and impressive receiving group, their offensive line struggled a bit last year and did not impress in Week 1 against Rice. The Alabama defense took advantage of this last year. This year, the defensive front may not be as good, but it's certainly capable of taking advantage of a weak offensive line. Where the Alabama defense differs from a year ago is on the back end. The Crimson Tide were exposed in the passing game as teams picked on corner Terrion Arnold, and safety Demarco Hellams was seemingly always out of position. This year, Arnold has looked much better on the other side of lockdown corner Kool-Aid McKinstry. The Tide also brought in freshman Caleb Downs, who earned SEC Freshman of the Week following his performance last week, and UAB transfer Jaylen Key, who did not allow a completion a week ago, according to Pro Football Focus. Key, however, went down at the end of last week's contest along with nickel corner Malachi Moore. Both players have practiced this week, but in what capacity they have participated is not known. If Key and/or Moore can't go, it could mean big things for Ewers and the Texas offense that clicked in the first quarter last year against the Tide secondary.
The Alabama offensive line looks to have made some strides from a year ago; however, it had a few bad moments, and the weakest link upfront seemed to be right guard Darrian Dalcourt. With the strength of Texas being the interior of their defensive line, all-world defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat could wreak havoc against an Alabama offensive line with a struggling guard. It is possible that the graduate student Dalcourt could be on a bit of a short leash this week as the Tide also worked sophomore Terrence Ferguson in with the first-team offensive line in last week's matchup with MTSU (Dalcourt received 41 snaps to Ferguson's 21). With the strong defenses on both sides of the ball, shaky offensive line play on both sides, and the new clock rules with the clock running after first downs, it seems like a recipe for the under to me. I would also look out for the status of Key and Moore; if both of those guys aren't able to go, Texas moneyline will be a great value as well.
