SB Nation From The Bettor's Perspective
By Andrew Sharp - Featured Contributor
LSU and Alabama face off in the most anticipated college football game of the year on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa. Does the winner of that game become a National Title favorite? Odds say yes. All odds come courtesy of SB Nation's odds partners at OddsShark.com
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Is Saturday’s LSU-vs.-Alabama battle in the SEC the real national championship game, just two months early? Oddsmakers say yes, posting odds this week that favor the winner of the Tigers-Crimson Tide game also winning the BCS title in January.
"Whoever wins is a -200 fave to finish off the season at No. 1, according to Bodog’s line anyway," said Mike Pickett of OddsShark.com. "The SEC has won five straight national crowns and with these teams at 1-2 in the rankings, it’s hard to imagine any other conference pushing into the discussion."
While it’s possible for Saturday’s loser to climb back to the top and earn a spot in the BCS title game, oddsmakers don’t believe that will happen and posted underdog odds based on that scenario.
"Stanford and Oklahoma State are viable candidates as undefeated teams. So is Oklahoma despite that awful loss last weekend, and even Boise State will get votes if it runs the table again," said Pickett.
The line on ‘will LSU and Alabama play again the BCS title game’ is +200, or roughly 2/1 odds for the ‘no’ response. The game itself presents plenty of intrigue and a home line of -4.5 favoring Alabama. And, in digging into the stats, the Tide lead LSU in all 10 key categories outlined in the Odds Shark Smart Chart.
Despite that, about 61 percent of the voting public at OddsShark.com is betting the underdog Tigers, perhaps owing in part to the 5-2 SU run since 1997 for LSU at Alabama.
However, the Tide is a money-making 8-1 ATS in their past 9 games as a favorite and LSU has lost six of their past nine games SU as an underdog. Alabama is also 11-3 ATS in their past 14 home games. LSU is 6-2-1 ATS in nine recent road games and 3-0 ATS in 2011.
Get matchup stats, game previews, trends and consensus data on every college football game every day at SB Nation’s lines partner Odds Shark.
Read More: LSU Tigers, Alabama Crimson Tide
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LSU Vs. Alabama Odds: Will The Winner Be A National Title Favorite?
LSU Vs. Alabama Odds: Will The Winner Be A National Title Favorite?
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Comments
My only hope
is that the very fabric of the universe isn’t ripped apart by this epic struggle of gods.
Elway is in, Zimm is in, Little is FINALLY in but don't forget: Randy Gradishar, Steve Atwater & Terrel Davis
by BlueNOrangeNIdaho on Nov 5, 2011 10:36 AM EDT reply actions
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