The top-ranked Crimson Tide is facing off with the No. 3 Florida State Seminoles at a neutral site in one of the biggest matchups of the early-season. Alabama lost a lot of talent to the NFL, but that happens every year, and it always reloads. The Seminoles are also stacked with playmakers and believe they have the type of talent to go toe-to-toe with the best program in the land.
It doesn’t get much better than this, as Alabama and Florida State will start the season off with a bang.
Watch this regular season Week 1 matchup live on Saturday, September 2, 2017, at 8 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
NCAA Football Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Florida State +7
Alabama -7
Over/Under 49
Odds Analysis
The Crimson Tide is a touchdown favorite, which isn’t a surprise considering how well they do against fellow heavyweights. Alabama is currently the more common choice, as 55 percent of the money is on it to cover.
The scoring total is lower than most college football games because of all the elite defenders in this matchup, but the “over” is the preference among bettors, who are hitting it 62 percent of the time.
Alabama is the -275 favorite on the moneyline and 56 percent of bettors prefer that choice. Florida State is listed at +226 to pull off the upset, which is much better odds than the majority of Crimson Tide opponents will see this year.
Matchup To Watch
The quarterback battle -- This one could come down to which signal-caller plays better. Alabama’s Jalen Hurts threw for 2,780 yards a season ago with 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions while adding 954 rush yards and 13 scores.
He was still young a season ago and figures to put up even bigger numbers this season. The Florida State secondary is strong and will test him, but Hurts has the talent to succeed.
Florida State’s quarterback is also a star sophomore. Deondre Francois threw for 3,350 yards with 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions last season, completing 58.8 percent of his passes. Francois isn’t as much of a running threat but did score five touchdowns in 2016.
Key Stat
Four. That’s the number of national championships Alabama has accumulated since 2009, and it hopes to add another in 2017. Alabama’s last title was in 2015, and it made it to the national championship game a year ago but was defeated by Clemson.
The Crimson Tide has to replace some key players, including first-round picks tight end O.J. Howard, cornerback Marlon Humphrey and linebacker Reuben Foster. Watching so many talented players leave would be a blow to lesser programs, but Alabama recruits better than anyone in the country and will be strong again.
Its defensive line is perennially dominant and its play in this one is important against Francois and the Florida State offense. It will be interesting to see how Alabama’s new pieces do in the opener, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see another great showing.
Free ATS Pick
Florida State is a very talented team, and a close loss wouldn’t necessarily be a death blow to its chances at making the College Football Playoff. A win would really turn some heads and likely vault the Seminoles to the top spot in the rankings early on.
This game should be a classic, with Florida State hanging tough. However, Alabama will make the big plays at the end to come away victorious, even though it will be the Seminoles who cover the spread in this low-scoring affair.
College Football Odds: Alabama 27, Florida State 21
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