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SEC Championship: Alabama vs Florida preview, point spread, prediction

By John Buhler

Dec 5, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Calvin Ridley (3) catches a 55 yard pass between the defense of Florida Gators defensive back Vernon Hargreaves III (1) and Marcus Maye (20) during the second quarter in the 2015 SEC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Calvin Ridley (3) catches a 55 yard pass between the defense of Florida Gators defensive back Vernon Hargreaves III (1) and Marcus Maye (20) during the second quarter in the 2015 SEC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Alabama Crimson Tide will play the Florida Gators in the 2016 SEC Championship Game. Here is a game preview, the betting odds and a score prediction.

The 2016 SEC Championship Game will be between the SEC West Champion Alabama Crimson Tide and the SEC East Champion Florida Gators. Kickoff from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta will be at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 3. CBS will have the telecast.

Alabama won the SEC West outright with a perfect 12-0 (8-0) record and the Crimson Tide are essentially a lock to make their third straight trip to the College Football Playoff. Should Alabama knock off Florida in Atlanta on Saturday, the Crimson Tide will almost certainly be the No. 1 seed nationally in the 2017 College Football Playoff.

Florida won the SEC East outright with an 8-3 (6-2) record. The Gators clinched the SEC East title for a second straight season by beating the cross-divisional foe LSU Tigers in a road game a few weeks ago. No other team in the SEC East finished better than 4-4 in SEC play this season.

Odds

Point Spread: Alabama -24
Moneylines: Alabama -3,000, Florida +1,200
Over/Under: 40.5

According to OddsShark.com, Alabama is a whopping 24-point favorite over Florida in a neutral site contest. The associated moneylines for the 2016 SEC Championship Game will be Alabama -3,000 and Florida +1,200. This game’s over/under comes in at a combined 40.5 points.

Here are some trends to know with the Gators: 1.) Florida is 4-2 against the spread in its last six games. 2.) The Gators are 8-3 straight up in their last 11 games. 3.) The point total has gone under in all five of the Gators’ last five games. 4.) Florida is 0-5 straight up and 1-4 against the spread in its last five meetings against Alabama.

Here are the trends to know about the Crimson Tide: 1.) Alabama is 5-2 against the spread in its last seven games. 2.) The Crimson Tide are 5-0 straight up in their last five games. 3.) They have gone under in four of their last five games. 4.) The Crimson Tide are 5-0 straight up and 4-1 against the spread in their last five games against Florida.

The 2016 SEC Championship features two stout defenses. However, this game is being played in a dome. The Georgia Dome is notorious for its high-scoring affairs in both the NFL and in college games. Really, the only chance that Florida has to upset Alabama is to muddy it up a bit in a low-scoring affair and, of course, there will be zero mud in the Georgia Dome on Saturday evening.

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That being said, Florida will cover the 24-point spread in defeat. With the game being in a dome, probably side with the over. Alabama wins by three scores to reach its third straight College Football Playoff. Florida keeps it interesting in the first half before waning halfway through the third quarter.

Pick: Alabama 34, Florida 17

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