The #12 Ole Miss Rebels (3-0, 0-0 SEC) return to action on Saturday to take on the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0, 1-0 SEC) in an SEC West showdown featuring top-ranked teams. Ole Miss enjoyed a week off preparing for Alabama, while the Crimson Tide blasted Southern Miss, 63-14.
Saturday’s prime time contest is at 3:30 p.m. EST inside Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, AL. The contest will be aired nationally on CBS.
According to the oddsmakers, the Crimson Tide are a 14.5-point favorite, and the total over-under is at 80 points, the highest SEC matchup total in history.
What to Know – Ole Miss Rebels
Head coach Lane Kiffin and his Rebels get their chance this weekend to show that they are a threat in the SEC West. Ole Miss has looked the part through their first three games of the season, beating their opponents by an average of 32 points per game.
Ole Miss has the highest-scoring offense and total offense in the country, averaging 52.7 points and 635.3 yards of offense per game. The Rebels have an improved defense, holding teams to 20.7 points and 340.7 yards of offense.
Matt Corral has emerged as a front-runner for the Heisman Trophy. The Ole Miss quarterback has thrown for nine touchdowns and ran for five through three games. Corral is completing 68.8% of his passes and hasn’t turned the ball over yet.
Ole Miss is 5-2 against the spread in their last seven games against Alabama and 2-0-1 ATS this season.
What to Know – Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama was the preseason top team in the country and hasn’t shown many faults in the lineup. The Crimson Tide have early victories over Miami and Florida and have an offense that can match the Rebels in scoring.
The Crimson Tide rank fourth scoring, averaging 46.5 points behind 465.5 yards of offense. Defensively, Alabama is surrendering only 17.5 points and 288.8 yards of offense to opponents.
Bryce Young is another Heisman favorite, and rightfully so. The signal-caller has thrown 15 touchdown passes this season with only one interception. Young is completing 72.1% of his throws and has thrown for 1,124 yards through the air.
The Crimson Tide own a 7-2 record ATS over their last nine games against SEC foes and a 5-1 mark in their last six against opponents in the SEC West.
The Pick is In
A pair of Heisman hopefuls and two of the top offenses in college football are set for an SEC showdown on Saturday afternoon. The matchup should provide plenty of fireworks in what is anticipated to be a high-scoring shootout in Bryant-Denny. The two teams combined for 111 points between each other last season.
Kiffin has coached under Alabama head coach Nick Saban and will have a game plan in place to attack his defense. Expect Alabama’s defense to be the difference-maker in the contest, but Corral and the Rebels keep this one close and cover.
Betting Pick: Ole Miss Rebels +14.5
