Alabama vs. Mississippi State preview, odds, prediction, TV channel, live stream
By Cephas Evans
Is this Nick Saban’s best team at Alabama to date? The Crimson Tide have checked all the boxes, but face another tough test against No. 16 Mississippi State on Saturday.
Last weekend, No. 1 Alabama made a statement against LSU and showed the nation why some are calling this Nick Saban’s best team yet.
In what was the most hyped game of the year, Alabama went to Death Valley and shut out No. 3 LSU 29-0. While many thought LSU could make the game interesting and keep it around the 14-point spread, this outcome should have surprised no one. On the year, Alabama has won every game by at least a 22-point margin, with six of those nine victories coming by 34 or more points. At this point, the only team that looks poised to give fans a competitive game against the Crimson Tide is Clemson, which fans won’t see until the College Football Playoffs.
No. 16 Mississippi State is led by quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, who is the SEC’s all-time leading rusher at the quarterback position. Although the Bulldogs enter the game at 6-3, this is not a team that Alabama will want to take lightly. They’ve had issues offensively at times, but have reeled off back-to-back wins to get things back on track. This weekend will be an entirely different challenge for this offense, but Fitzgerald has played the Crimson Tide many times and kept games close in the past.
Usually, when a ranked team travels to play the top dog, it’s the talk of college football. However, this looks to be just another game on Alabama’s road to the National Championship. Here is everything you need to know about the game.
How to watch and bet on Alabama vs. Mississippi State
Date: Saturday, Nov. 10
Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Tuscaloosa, AL
Stadium: Bryant–Denny Stadium
TV Info: CBS
Live Stream: FuboTV, CBSsports.com
Betting Odds
Points Spread: Alabama -25
Money Line: Bama -3700, Miss St +2300
O/U: 53
Keys to Victory
Alabama – What more can be said about this Alabama football team? They’ve dominated every opponent they’ve faced this season and shown no reason for fans to expect anything different this weekend. However, there are a few things to note that could affect the outcome on Saturday. Last weekend, Heisman front-runner Tua Tagovailoa looked to have aggravated his sprained right knee. Tagovailoa has turned the Crimson Tide offense into one of the most high-powered units in the nation and having him near 100 percent will be critical when facing the Bulldogs top-ranked defense. Furthermore, Alabama has struggled to defend mobile quarterbacks in the past, so containing Nick Fitzgerald will be the key for Alabama to win in convincing fashion.
Mississippi State – The key for the Bulldogs this weekend will be putting together a complete performance on both sides of the ball. On the year, Mississippi State ranks second in scoring defense and sixth in yards allowed. Although they haven’t played an offense as prolific as this Alabama team, they have consistently played well on that side of the ball, even in their losses. That said, it’s been an up and down year for the Bulldogs offense, which will need their best performance to date. Fitzgerald has had success against the Crimson Tide in the past, rushing for 66 yards and helping the Bulldogs secure a fourth-quarter lead in last years game. Although they ultimately lost, that game should give the Bulldogs the confidence needed to put it all on the line when visiting Alabama this weekend.
Prediction
Mississippi State is the best defense that Tagovailoa and the Tide have faced this year. I think this is a tougher test than last week’s win at LSU. Outside of the stadium experience, Mississippi State is better than LSU. That said, I don’t think there is an upset here, but Alabama won’t cover the 25-point spread.
Score – Alabama 31, Miss St 9