The No. 16 (BCS) Alabama Crimson Tide and No. 9 Michigan State Spartans, are two teams that could just as easily be playing a BCS game this New Years Day, but instead will face off in the best of the second tier bowls, the Capital One Bowl, at Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Florida with kickoff time set for 1 PM ET (ESPN). Oddsmakers at most offshore sports wagering sites list Alabama as a 10-chalk spreads favorite versus the Spartans with a 52 total. Be sure to get the latest College Football Point Spreads for all the 2010-11 bowl season.
The Crimson Tide (9-3) went into the 2010 college football season picked to repeat as BCS National Champions. Afer all, they returned the bulk of the team that took them to the promised land last season, including 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram. Going into the last week of the season Alabama had two conference losses, tied with Arkansas and LSU for second in the SEC West. It was predicted Alabama would prevail over undefeated Auburn in the Iron Bowl and for the first three quarters it appeared those predictions would come to fruition. But we all know what happened then, when eventual 2010 Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton would lead his team past the Tide in the waning minutes of the game.
Michigan State really got a raw deal in its bowl selection after going 11-1 on the season. The Spartans were part of that three-headed monster atop the BIG TEN standings with Wisconsin and Ohio State, two teams heading to BCS bowls. The problem is, no more than two teams from the same league can be issued a BCS invitation. So the two highest ranked teams got Sugar and Roses while Sparty heads to Orlando for their date with the Tide.
Fans might be asking why Alabama is a double-digit favorite in this game. The only answer I can give you is its all about how things are perceived. The Crimson Tide are SEC elite and therefore superior to anything out of the BIG TEN. It doesn't mean those perceptions are accurate. Oddsmakers will take advantage of that perception when setting the betting odds.
Capital One Bowl Prediction : I like this Alabama team. They reside in the SEC West, the most brutal division in college football. This team is loaded and will be eager to erase the bad taste of losing out to Auburn. BEST BET- Alabama will cover -10.
