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Alabama opens as a seven point favorite over Texas

Joe Cookby:Joe Cook09/03/23

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Last season, Alabama entered Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas as an almost three touchdown favorite over the Texas Longhorns. The Crimson Tide, with reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young in tow, were perceived by the books to be worlds better than the Longhorns, only to see Texas give Nick Saban‘s program all it could handle before falling one point short in a 20-19 loss.

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This year, the Las Vegas sports books seem to think higher of the No. 11 Longhorns even as they are about to enter the hostile confines of Bryant-Denny Stadium to face No. 4 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Texas opened as a seven point underdog versus the Crimson Tide, according to CircaSports.

Circa also set the points total at 52.5.

Last season, according to OddsShark, the Longhorns were a 21-point underdog versus the Crimson Tide before giving Saban’s program its best shot. The points total was set at 64.5 and finished well under that number at 39.

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Under head coach Steve Sarksian, a former Saban assistant, the Longhorns are 13-13 against the spread. Alabama is 16-13-1 in its last 30 games against the spread.

The Longhorns were unable to cover a 35.5 point spread versus Rice during Texas’ season-opening 37-10 win. The under hit when both teams failed to eclipse 58 points.

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Other Big 12 games with odds from Circa included:

  • Kansas (-3) vs. Illinois (55.5)
  • Cincinnati (+7) at Pittsburgh (46.5)
  • Baylor (+4) vs. Utah (48.5)
  • Oklahoma State (-2) at Arizona State (55.5)
  • Iowa State (+3) vs. Iowa (35.5)
  • Oklahoma (-18) vs. SMU (72.5)
  • Kansas State (-15) vs. Troy (49.5)
  • Houston (-10) at Rice (55.5)
  • Texas Tech (+7) vs. Oregon (60.5)

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