One of the early games in NCAA football betting on New Year’s Day is the Capital One Bowl as Michigan State plays Alabama.
The Crimson Tide are 10-point favorites and they are getting a lot of support from gamblers making a college football bet at Sbg global.
Michigan State Wants Respect
The Spartans are not getting much respect from fans or from the oddsmakers in this game. It seems everyone expects an Alabama blowout. Michigan State actually tied Ohio State and Wisconsin for the Big 10 title this season but they were left out of the BCS bowl games. Michigan State does not feel that the Capital One Bowl is a step down though as they believe a win against Alabama will show the country they belong in the Top 10.
Is Alabama Motivated?
There is a big question of motivation for the Crimson Tide in this game. It was supposed to be a national championship season for Alabama but that did not happen. Alabama has proven in the past when they are not motivated that they are beatable. Remember what happened two years ago in the Sugar Bowl against Utah? If the Crimson Tide is not focused they could struggle in this game.
Bowl Trends
The Spartans are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games as an underdog. The Crimson Tide are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games. The Crimson Tide are 1-4 in NCAA football betting vs. a team with a winning record. Both teams were 7-5 against the spread this season.
The Total
There is no question that totals get more attention in bowl games than in regular season games. As we look at the trends we find that the Over is 6-1 in the Spartans last 7 non-conference games. The Over is 4-0 in Alabama’s last 4 Bowl games. The Over is 6-1-1 in Alabama’s last 8 non-conference games. Alabama has an excellent defense that was 5th in the country in fewest points allowed. That would seem to help the under in this game. Michigan State also had a solid defense that ranked 26th in the country. Both teams went under the total this season more often than they went over so points could be tough to come by in the Capital One Bowl.