| College Football Betting Preview - Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (Saturday 8 ET)
By Tony George
Alabama is favorites of -6.5 with a game total of 38 for this week 1 showdown at most sportsbooks.
 What an opening game for these 2 teams, Alabama at #5 and VT at #8. They hook up in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on national TV for this one, and line has steadily moved up from 6 to 6.5, as the SEC no doubt has plenty of backers in this one.
When looking at it from an opening game perspective, neither team will be in mid season form, and there are a ton of intangibles to consider.
While Nick Saban is perceived to be a good coach, Frank Beamer is a great coach.
Without the pool of talent that Saban has had over the years to win with, Beamer and his staff take leftovers and make them a championship caliber players with a team concept every year, that is great coaching.
An interesting stat, 'Beamer Ball' coached teams for VT have only lost 2 games by more than 5 points in their last 34 games!
I like VT in this game because of a veteran defense which is rock solid, and as always, the special teams plays this team makes consistently has won countless games for them.
I also like QB Taylor with a 3 deep RB unit and a solid WR unit for VT. Alabama is not without stars, and containing QB McElroy and WR Jones from hooking up for big plays will be priority one.
Expect plenty of blitz packages and a strong 5 man front to shut down Tide RB Coffee from the Hokies.
In a battle of what looks to be defenses, with points at a premium, 6.5 points is too many to lay, and Virginia Tech capable of a win here.
This is a LIVE DOG selection, and I am calling for the outright win by the underdog in this game.
Free Pick: Virginia Tech +6.5 (+100) available right now at 5Dimes.com.
Be sure to visit the free picks section and college football betting forum for more picks and predictions for Saturday. |
