Mississippi State’s No. 1 ranking means nothing in Vegas, as long as Alabama is lining up across from the Bulldogs.

The Crimson Tide will enter Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday as a betting favorite for the 64th consecutive game. (Nick Saban’s team hasn’t been a betting underdog since the 2009 SEC championship against Tim Tebow’s Florida, a 32-13 win for the Tide.)

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Bulldogs are an 8.5-point road dog. Mississippi State is the first time an Associated Press No. 1 has been an underdog since Alabama hovered between 9.5 and 10 points as a favorite against No. 1 Notre Dame in the 2012 BCS championship.

Unless they’re playing Alabama, No. 1 teams rarely are underdogs.

RECENT NO. 1 TEAMS AS UNDERDOGS

Date Game Line Score
Nov. 15, 2014 No. 1 Mississippi State at No. 4 Alabama Alabama -8.5 TBD
Jan. 7, 2013 No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Alabama Alabama -10 Alabama 42, Notre Dame 14
Jan. 9, 2012 No. 1 LSU vs. No. 2 Alabama Alabama -2.5 Alabama 21, LSU 0
Nov. 5, 2011 No. 2 Alabama at No. 1 LSU Alabama -4.5 LSU 9, Alabama 6

Mississippi State won SU as underdogs against LSU and Auburn earlier this season. MSU entered the game against Auburn ranked No. 3, with FSU at No. 1 and Auburn at No. 2.

“Every article you read or everywhere you look, we’re the big underdog going into this game. We’ve done that before,” coach Dan Mullen said. “We know that role. We’re going to be OK with that.”

Alabama is 3-5 ATS this season and Mississippi State is 5-4.

According to several Vegas handicappers, Alabama would be favored against any team in college football on a neutral field right now.

Public money favors the No. 1 Bulldogs pretty heavily (65 percent), but the line has moved in favor of Alabama since opening at -7 on Sunday, usually a good indication that sharp money favors the Crimson Tide.

Interestingly, several respected pros in the gambling industry couldn’t recall the last time an AP No. 1 entered a game as an underdog of at least a touchdown.