Rose Bowl – Alabama vs Michigan Free Picks
Crimson Tide Face Wolverines in CFP Semifinals
For college football fans, this is about as good as it gets. The Alabama Crimson Tide and Michigan Wolverines meet in the Rose Bowl to decide which team advances to the college football playoffs championship. The Wolverines opened as 2.5-point favorites with a total of 46.
The opening moneyline price was Michigan -135. Alabama has been getting the majority of the wagers in the game, and the line is down to Michigan -1. The total has dropped slightly down to 45. With a 1-point spread, there is no moneyline wager offered. In Alabama vs Michigan free picks, we’ll look at both the side and the over/under betting football wager being offered.
Rose Bowl Information
Alabama vs Michigan 
Records: Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1) Michigan Wolverines (13-0)
Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
Day/Time: Streaming: ESPN
How Good is This Alabama Team?
An early-season loss put the Crimson Tide under the radar for most of the season. Even defeating Georgia in the SEC Championship game didn’t make Alabama a lock for the CFP. But to the chagrin of Florida State fans, the Crimson Tide made it in as the No. 4 seed. Alabama may not have the stats of some of the Crimson Tide teams of the past. But this year’s team is solid and has played one of the most demanding schedules in college football.
The NCAAF scores show the Crimson Tide with a 35.1-18.4 scoring margin on the season but don’t tell the whole story. The Tide gained 6.4 yards per play while allowing 4.9, giving them a +1.5 differential. That’s not quite as good as Michigan’s +1.8, but Alabama’s came against much tougher competition. Jeff Sagarin has Alabama as having played the third-toughest schedule in the country. Michigan is at No. 56.
The Crimson Tide is 9-4 against the NCAAF odds this season and 8-3-2 in totals. Alabama was favored in every game except the SEC title game, where it was a 5.5-point underdog to Georgia.
Is This the Year For Harbaugh?
For several years, the big knock against Jim Harbaugh was that he couldn’t beat Ohio State. He’s taken care of that the past few seasons, winning three straight games against the Buckeyes. Now, the pressure is on Harbaugh to do something even more. He has the team to do it. But it’s not going to be easy.
The Wolverines outscored opponents 36.7-9.5 this season. The Big Ten Conference has some good teams, such as Ohio State and Penn State, and those games were a battle. But the Wolverines managed to win and cover the point spread against both of those teams. Michigan was 7-5-1 against the point spread this season and 6-7 in totals. All five-point spread losses came when Michigan was favored by 17.5 or more points. Four of them came when the Wolverines were favored by more than 30 points.
The key stat for the Wolverines is yards per point. The Wolverines are No. 1 in the nation in both offense and defense. But Alabama is No. 11 in offense and No. 19 in defense. So, by all accounts, this should be a great game between two strong teams.
Does CFP Experience Matter?
One edge that the Crimson Tide do have is they know how to win in the college football playoffs. Michigan has to prove it can win on the big stage first. The Wolverines have lost in the semifinals in each of the last two years and are 0-2 all-time. Alabama is 9-4 with three championships.
The Alabama vs Michigan free picks is going to be on the side of Alabama +1. The Crimson Tide may not have its best team, but this year’s version is better than they get credit for. Alabama is solid all the way around, and you may not like Nick Saban. But you can’t deny what he’s done, either.
Alabama is going to be bigger and faster than Michigan is used to seeing. The Wolverines cruised through most of the regular season but did have their hands full with Ohio State and Penn State. It’s hard to argue either of those teams is as good as Alabama. If a moneyline wager becomes available, you have to take Alabama there, as well.
The Alabama vs Michigan free picks wager on the total is going to be over 45. Michigan’s defense allowed 24 points in two of the last three games, with offensively challenged Iowa the lone exception. Alabama just scored 27 points against Georgia. The Crimson Tide should be able to make a few big plays against the Wolverines to put some points on the scoreboard.
For NCAAF betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
