The Crimson Tide are priced as 7-point favourites on the NCAA odds.

College Football Point Spread and Betting Analysis

Alabama is tied for second in all-time college football wins, while Texas is fifth. The Longhorns’ 7-2-1 record is the best by any school against the Crimson Tide with at least five meetings. However, Bama has won the past two, including a 20-19 victory in Austin last year on a 33-yard field goal in the final seconds. Tide starting QB Bryce Young thew for 213 yards and a TD but is now the starter for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. Horns QB Quinn Ewers was 9-for-12 for 134 yards before being knocked out on a fairly dirty hit and not able to return. He’s back this year.

It’s the first matchup between the schools in Tuscaloosa since Texas won 10-0 on Nov. 19, 1902. Alabama currently has the nation’s longest home winning streak at 21 in a row. Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian is a former Bama offensive coordinator under Nick Saban, who is 28-2 vs. former assistants at Alabama. 

These schools will be SEC foes starting next season. 

Texas Longhorns

It would have been understandable for Texas to overlook Rice in Week 1, and UT played just OK in a 37-10 win. QB and Heisman Trophy candidate Quinn Ewers threw for three scores and rushed for another. What many Texas fans were complaining about was that mega-touted true freshman QB Arch Manning didn’t play at all. The nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning apparently is third string this year (and might be redshirted) because Maalik Murphy did play some behind Ewers, who is trying to become the first quarterback nationally to win at Alabama since Joe Burrow in 2019. Three of the past five QBs to win there (Burrow, Johnny Manziel, Cam Newton) went on to win the Heisman that year. Texas has lost seven of its past eight vs. AP ranked schools and dropped three in a row against SEC foes overall since beating Georgia in 2018.

Alabama Crimson Tide

Nick Saban announced that 2022 backup Jalen Milroe was his team’s Week 1 starting QB and that looked to be a wise move as Milroe was excellent in a 56-7 rout of Middle Tennessee, completing 13 of 18 for 194 yards and three scores while rushing for two TDs. He was named SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week. That was Alabama’s 43^rd straight non-conference home win and all those victories have been by at least 14 points. The last Tide non-conference home loss was in 2007 vs UL-Monroe (Saban’s first season at Alabama). Bama also has won 29 straight games in September overall, the longest active FBS streak. Saban’s club has won six straight and 12 of its past 13 at home vs. ranked foes. Starting defensive backs Malachi Moore and Jaylen Key both left Week 1 injured and are in question for Saturday.

Texas v. Alabama Predicted Score

Alabama 38, Texas 30