Could the worst team in the NFL still dominate the best team in college football? Las Vegas sports books certainly think the Buffalo Bills could take down the Alabama Crimson Tide.
It’s a debate that takes place pretty much every year, with football fans arguing whether or not the best team in college football could take down the worst NFL team. For once, Vegas decided to humor everyone and give their take on the debate.
SportsCenter recently tweeted out an interesting update in the debate from the SuperBook at the Westgate Las Vegas, which came out and gave us a point spread in a hypothetical matchup between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Buffalo Bills. Westgate projected that, on a neutral field, the Bills would be a massive 28.5-point favorite.
This would be interesting to see 🤔
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 9, 2018
The Buffalo Bills would be favored by 28.5 points on a neutral field against Alabama, per the SuperBook at the Westgate Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/PSyRKYr1gt
Not surprisingly, everyone and their mother had an opinion on social media.
Former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee stated that he was all in on Alabama beating a football team, but apparently some of his old teammates thought that he was taking some crazy pills.
UPDATED THE BLOG with text messages I’ve received from old teammates telling me I’m a dumbass~> https://t.co/ylSqJOAvfs
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 9, 2018
The Ringer’s Kevin Clark had a pretty strong opinion of his own.
The Alabama vs. Buffalo Bills hypothetical is useful only in that if someone says Alabama would be competitive, you never have to take that person seriously ever again.
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) November 8, 2018
Perhaps the best takes came from ESPN’s High Noon with Pablo Torre and Bomani Jones, who weren’t arguing that the Bills would win, but whether they would still even be able to score 29 points in a game.
“In the last four weeks (the Bills) have only scored 33 points and you want me to say ‘can they score 29 in a day? IN A DAY?!’”@bomani_jones on whether the Bills could cover the spread in a hypothetical matchup vs. Alabama pic.twitter.com/HbXng8h3FI
— HIGH NOON (@HIGHNOONonESPN) November 9, 2018
The whole concept of a college team getting an opportunity to play an NFL team is completely hypothetical at this point, but that doesn’t mean that everyone still doesn’t want to watch it.
As far as this writer’s take on the game, I think it’s safe to say that Tua Tagovailoa is a better quarterback than Nathan Peterman. Other than that, we have to give the Bills some credit. Their offense isn’t great, but their defense is a formidable foe with a front seven and secondary that even NFL teams struggle to get points on consistently.
I don’t think that the Bills would stomp all over Alabama, but I’m pretty sure that the Crimson Tide would cover that theoretical spread on a neutral field.
What is your take on this hypothetical matchup? Could the Crimson Tide compete with any NFL team this year? Let us know in the comments.