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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.
@csmithSDS -I can never remember once anywhere near this big of a dog. I remember some being 3 or 3.5 dog but never more.
— Chris Andrews (@andrewssports) November 12, 2014
LSU was 4.5-point 'dog at 'Bama for 9-6 win in 2011, but that's richest 'dog spot for #1 team off top of my head. @andrewssports @csmithSDS
— Brian Edwards Sports (@vegasbedwards) November 12, 2014
@vegasbedwards @andrewssports @csmithSDS How about ND vs. Bama in title game?
— D.C. Reeves (@mayordcreeves) November 12, 2014
@_DCReeves @vegasbedwards @csmithSDS – ND wasn't #1
— Chris Andrews (@andrewssports) November 12, 2014
@andrewssports @vegasbedwards @csmithSDS Yea, they were. ND was undefeated, Alabama had a loss.
— D.C. Reeves (@mayordcreeves) November 12, 2014
“@_DCReeves: @andrewssports @vegasbedwards @csmithSDS Yea, they were. ND undefeated, Alabama 1 loss.”-Shows you how close I follow rankings.
— Chris Andrews (@andrewssports) November 12, 2014
“@_DCReeves: @andrewssports @vegasbedwards @csmithSDS Haha, yea just a formality for you guys.”- Completely meaningless in my world.
— Chris Andrews (@andrewssports) November 12, 2014
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.