Alabama is dealing with a slew of injuries and suspensions, but can they still cover the huge -33.5 spread against Duke on Saturday?
Alabama and Duke kick their seasons off from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
The national runners-up and No. 2 Tide is clearly the better team in this matchup, but their side did get a little weaker in the week leading up to their opener. Running backs Najee Harris and Brian Robinson and linebacker Terrell Lewis, are suspended for the first half. Receiver DeVonta Smith is also facing a suspension but Alabama will be able to manage against a Duke team that went 8-5 last season and must replace quarterback Daniel Jones.
The last time fans saw Alabama was in the National Championship Game loss when the defense got humbled by Clemson. Now the defense will have to cope without its best player. Preseason All-American middle linebacker Dylan Moses Jr. is expected to miss the season with a torn ACL suffered this week in practice. Moses was set to be an anchor on defense after recording 86 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks last year. The Tide will definitely miss Moses, but it will give the young Alabama guys a chance to step up and make a name for themselves.
For the Blue Devils, their offense was inconsistent and now they won’t have Jones behind center. Quentin Harris gets the starting nod against what figures to be an angry Crimson Tide defense, albeit one that’s a little thinner to begin the season due to injury and suspensions. It’s a tough ask for an inexperienced quarterback to try and outscore Heisman runner-up Tua Tagovailoa and his cast of weapons, which includes Biletnikoff winner Jerry Jeudy.
How to bet and watch Alabama vs. Duke
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
- Start: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Atlanta, GA
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium
- TV Channel: ABC
- Odds: Alabama -33.5 (Bovada)
- Over/Under: 57.0 (Bovada)
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
Prediction: Tagovailoa and Jeudy should make more plays than the Duke offense can keep up and this game could be over by halftime, even with the first-half suspensions. If Duke can get a touchdown or two, this game should hit the over. Though, Saban’s squad will be doing the heavy lifting. The Crimson Tide should also cover the big 33.5-point spread.
Score: Alabama 56, Duke 21