Alabama Crimson Tide vs Michigan Wolverines Betting Pick & Prediction ReliaQuest Bowl
ESPN is covering the ReliaQuest Bowl matchup between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Michigan Wolverines, set for 12:00 ET on Tuesday, December 31st, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Despite being the designated home team, Michigan comes in with a 7-5 record, while Alabama is 9-3. The over/under line is 43.5 points, and Alabama is the heavy favorite at -11.5 points.
ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE VS MICHIGAN WOLVERINES BETTING PICK
The Pick: Michigan Wolverines +11.5
This game will be played at Raymond James Stadium at 12:00 ET on Tuesday, December 31st.
WHY BET THE MICHIGAN WOLVERINES:
- We have the Alabama Crimson Tide winning this one by a score of 27 to 21
- Even though we like the Alabama Crimson Tide to win, our ATS pick is to take the Michigan Wolverines at +11.5
- Look for this game to go over the line of 43.5 points
Will The Alabama Crimson Tide Take Care Of Business As The Favorite?
Alabama enters Week 1 against Michigan with a 9-3 record, having gone 6-0 at home and 2-3 on the road. They’ve been favored in 10 of their 12 games, holding a 7-3 record as the favorite. At home, they are 5-0 as favorites, but on the road, they’ve gone 2-3 when favored.
Their ATS record stands at 6-5, with a 4-2 mark at home and 2-3 on the road. Alabama is 5-5 against the spread as the favorite this season, and they’ve covered once as the underdog.
This week’s over/under line is 43.5 points, the lowest they’ve seen this season. Alabama’s games have averaged a 53.8-point line, with an average total of 52.8 points per game.
Alabama’s offense is averaging 35.5 points per game, placing them 15th in the nation, and they are ranked 13th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 11. Their third-down conversion rate is impressive, ranking 11th at 48.7%, and they are 21st in completion percentage at 65.5%.
Jalen Milroe leads the team with 2,657 passing yards and a 66% completion rate. He has thrown 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, with a passer rating of 98. Jam Miller has rushed for 641 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 4 yards per carry. Ryan Williams has 857 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 45 catches.
Alabama’s defense, ranked 8th nationally, is giving up just 17.2 points per game this season. In their recent game against Auburn, they allowed 14 points but forced two interceptions. Auburn managed 399 total yards, including 301 passing yards, but Alabama held them to 98 rushing yards on 23 attempts.
On average, Alabama’s defense has allowed 141.9 rushing yards per game and 191.2 passing yards. Opposing quarterbacks have completed 61% of their passes, with a passer rating of 73.4 against Alabama, which ranks 23rd nationally.
Will Home Field Advantage Help The Michigan Wolverines Upset The Alabama Crimson Tide?
Michigan enters Week 13 with a 7-5 record, hosting Alabama. They’ve been strong at home, going 6-2, but have struggled on the road at 1-3. The Wolverines are 5-1 as favorites this season and 2-4 as underdogs.
Michigan’s ATS record is 5-7, with a +1.8 average scoring margin. They are 2-4 against the spread as favorites and 3-3 as underdogs.
Their over/under record stands at 7-5, with an average line of 42.1 points. This week’s line is 43.5, and their games have averaged 42.8 points per contest.
Michigan’s offense has struggled heading into their week 1 matchup against Alabama, ranking 82nd in points per game with 22.2 and 79th in our offensive power rankings. Their passing game has been a major issue, averaging just 133.6 yards per game, which places them 127th nationally. Davis Warren, their quarterback, has thrown nine interceptions compared to six touchdowns, and his passer rating is 69.
Warren has thrown for 1,126 yards this season, completing 63.5% of his passes. Michigan is 98th in passing attempts per game. On the ground, they average 161.3 rushing yards per game. Kalel Mullings leads the rushing attack with 948 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 5 yards per carry.
Michigan’s defense played a crucial role in their recent 13-10 victory over Ohio State, allowing just 10 points. They limited the Buckeyes to 252 total yards, including 77 rushing yards on 26 attempts, and forced two interceptions.
On the season, Michigan’s defense ranks 8th nationally in rushing yards allowed, giving up just 93.2 yards per game. Opposing quarterbacks have averaged a 61.2% completion rate and 218.3 passing yards per game against Michigan.