2024 ReliaQuest Bowl Lines - Alabama vs. Michigan

ReliaQuest Bowl Lines - Alabama vs. Michigan Odds

The University of Michigan football team will head south during the holiday season and face 11th-ranked Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl. The Wolverines will be making their Big Ten-leading seventh appearance in the ReliaQuest Bowl, previously known as the Outback Bowl and Hall of Fame Bowl. The ReliaQuest Bowl is held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This will be the sixth meeting between Michigan and Alabama during the bowl season, with U-M holding a 3-2 series advantage. The most recent meeting came in last year's College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl, a 27-20 victory by the Wolverines in overtime. Michigan claimed victories in the 1988 Hall of Fame Bowl (28-24), 2000 Orange Bowl (35-34, 1 OT), and 2024 Rose Bowl, while Alabama earned wins in the 1997 Outback Bowl (17-14) and 2020 Citrus Bowl (35-16).

2024 ReliaQuest Bowl at a Glance

Date: Tuesday, December 31, 2024

Time (ET) / TV: 12:00 PM / ESPN

Venue: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Matchup: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Michigan Wolverines

College Football Betting Lines

Alabama Crimson Tide -10.5

Michigan Wolverines +10.5

Over/Under: 43.5

ReliaQuest Bowl Preview

Last game, the Michigan Wolverines won 13-10 against the Ohio State Buckeyes as 19.5-point road dogs. The game went under the total of 41.5. Michigan has a record of 7-5 straight up, 7-5 against the spread, and 7-5 over/under the total. Michigan ranks 128th for total offense, 130th for passing, 70th for rushing, and 112th for scoring. Defensively, they rank 14th overall, 68th against the pass, 3rd against the rush, and 24th for points allowed. Also, Michigan ranks 87th for fewest turnovers lost and 51st for takeaways.

Last game, the Alabama Crimson Tide won 28-14 against the Auburn Tigers as 11.5-point home favorites. The game went under the total of 51. Alabama has a record of 9-3 straight up, 7-5 against the spread, and 6-6 over/under the total. Alabama ranks 40th for total offense, 50th for passing, 43rd for rushing and 18th for scoring. Defensively, they rank 31st overall, 30th against the pass, 53rd against the rush, and 11th for points allowed. Also, Alabama ranks 76th for fewest turnovers lost and 9th for takeaways.

ReliaQuest Bowl Prediction

In this situation, Alabama will have the better personnel and depth.

ReliaQuest Bowl Format

The ReliaQuest Bowl was originally founded as the Hall of Fame Bowl in 1986. The Outback Bowl took over as title sponsor in 1996 and continued in that role until this year when ReliaQuest took over. Currently, the bowl has conference tie-ins with the Big Ten and SEC and pays out $6.4 million.

ReliaQuest Bowl Past Results

The 2021 Outback Bowl was not one of the best matchups in the game, as it had an Ole Miss team with a losing record facing Indiana. The Hoosiers entered the game as an 8-point favorite, but Mississippi proved they belonged in a bowl game and dominated Indiana throughout. Lane Kiffin’s offense proved too much for Indiana, and the Rebels got a 26-20 win. Mississippi quarterback Matt Corral was named the MVP. He was 30-of-44 for 342 yards and two touchdowns.

Mississippi State beat Illinois in 2022 as they dedicated the win to their fallen late coach, Mike Leach.

In the 2023 season, the 13th-ranked LSU Tigers launched the team's post-Daniels era with a 35-31, come-from-behind victory over Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl. A calm Nussmeier led a 98-yard drive to produce the winning touchdown in the closing minutes.

Stepping in to make his first college start after Daniels — the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner — opted out to begin preparing for the NFL draft, Nussmeier completed 31 of 45 passes for 395 yards, three TDs, and one interception.

The 21-year-old, who backed up Daniels for two seasons after the Heisman winner transferred to LSU from Arizona State, tossed TD passes of 14 yards to Chris Hilton Jr. and 38 and 4 yards to Brian Thomas Jr., whose second score put LSU ahead for the first time with 3:08 remaining.

Nussmeier fueled the eight-play-winning drive with completions of 37 yards to Kyren Lacy and 43 yards to Hilton. Thomas finished with eight catches for 98 yards, while Lacy had six receptions for 97 yards.

Nussmeier rallied the Tigers from a 14-point second-half deficit to overshadow a stellar performance by Wisconsin's Tanner Mordecai, who threw for a season-high 378 yards and three TDs for the Badgers, who played without star running back Braelon Allen.

2024-25 College Football Bowl Games

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