Michigan Wolverines vs Alabama Crimson Tide Picks, Odds, Citrus Bowl Prediction 1/1/2020

Game: Michigan Wolverines vs Alabama Crimson Tide

Date: Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Citrus Bowl

Location: Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL

TV: ABC

Odds/Point Spread: Alabama -7

Total/Over-Under: 57

Shea Patterson and the Michigan Wolverines are headed to Camping World Stadium on Wednesday, January 1 where they'll meet the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Citrus Bowl. The spread on this game has Alabama as 7-point favorites. The Wolverines are 7-5-0 ATS and 9-3-0 when betting on the total. The Crimson Tide are 7-5-0 when wagering on the over/under and 6-6-0 against the spread.

In their last game, the Michigan Wolverines faced the Ohio State Buckeyes and lost 56-27. Hassan Haskins paced the team on the ground in the game. His longest run of the day went for 33 yards and he added 1 TD for the game. He rushed for 78 yards by way of 12 carries which gave him an average of 6.5 yards per carry. Ronnie Bell was the leader in receiving yardage by earning 78 yards on 6 receptions. He averaged 13.0 yards per reception in the game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Wolverines was Shea Patterson who went 18/43 with 305 yards passing and added 1 touchdown. He threw 1 interception on the day. The Wolverines ran the ball 26 times and generated 91 yards earning them an average of 3.5 yards per carry. In all, they totaled 69 plays which added up to 396 yards. For the game, the Wolverines totaled 21 1st downs and they totaled 5 infractions for 38 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. On the defensive side of the ball, Michigan conceded 15 completions on 27 attempts totaling 313 yards, and a completion percentage of 55.6%. For this contest, they gave up 577 yards and earned 1 turnover. On the ground, the Wolverines conceded 264 yards on 50 carries which is an average of 5.3 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

The Wolverines head into this game 9-3 in 2019. For total yards, they sit in 7th in the Big Ten and 70th in the country with 4,832 yards. They are one of top scoring teams in the nation with an average of 33 points per contest, putting them 37th in the country. As a team, they have an average of 150.3 rushing yards per contest which is 8th in the conference. The Wolverines have one of the best defenses in the nation, allowing 19.5 points per game which has them at 5th in the Big Ten. When it comes to passing yards, the Wolverines have conceded 3,028 yards. Teams are completing 56.9% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 6.5 yards per try. When it comes to yards on the ground, Michigan is giving up 120.2 yards per contest which has them at 5th in the conference and 23rd in D-1. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 3.1 yards per rush which has them at 3rd in the Big Ten and 11th in Division 1 overall. In total, they have conceded 1,442 rushing yards through 12 contests.

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In their last game, the Alabama Crimson Tide played the Auburn Tigers and were defeated 48-45. Najee Harris paced the team in rushing during the game. He broke a long run for 23 yards and he tallied 1 TD for the game. He ran for 146 yards by way of 27 carries which means he ran for an average of 5.4 yards per tote. Henry Ruggs III was the leader in receiving yardage by racking up 99 yards on 6 catches. He averaged 16.5 yards per reception during the game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Crimson Tide was Mac Jones who went 26/39 with 335 yards through the air and added 4 touchdowns. He tossed 2 picks in the game. The Crimson Tide ended up rushing 38 times and racked up a total of 180 yards which gave them an average of 4.7 yards per rushing attempt. On the day, the Crimson Tide got 28 1st downs and they had 13 penalties for 96 yards telling us that this team was extremely undisciplined. In all, they ran 77 plays which added up to 515 yards. When discussing the defense, Alabama conceded 15 completions on 31 attempts totaling 173 yards, and a completion percentage of 48.4%. For this contest, they allowed a total of 354 yards and forced 1 takeaway. On the ground, the Crimson Tide conceded 181 yards on 34 tries which means they had an average of 5.3 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

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The Crimson Tide head into this game 10-2. In terms of offensive proficiency, the Crimson Tide have one of the most prolific offenses in D-1. Alabama is making teams consider moving more up into the box by averaging 170 rushing yards per game, putting them 57th in D-1. As a team, they have a total of 2,040 rushing yards through 12 contests, so they'll look to the run game to try to keep the opponents off balance so they'll have open receivers. The Crimson Tide average 513.5 yards per game overall ranking them 7th in the nation and 2nd in the Southeastern Conference. The Crimson Tide are allowing 18.8 points per contest which puts them at 5th in the Southeastern Conference and 15th in the nation. Their passing defense is one of the elite units in D-1. They are giving up 183.4 passing yards per contest. For passing yards allowed per game, the Crimson Tide are currently ranked 3rd in the conference. When it comes to points allowed, they have allowed 226 total points. In discussing yards on the ground, they are conceding 135.3 yards per game which puts them at 36th in D-1 and 7th in the conference. In 2019, they have conceded 1,624 rushing yards and 9.6 rushing TDs.

Who will win tonight's Wolverines/Crimson Tide college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Wolverines +7

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