Alabama Vs. Florida 2016: Odds, Point Spread Prediction And How To Watch Live Online SEC Championship
The Alabama Crimson Tide will take on the Florida Gators in the 2016 SEC championship game this afternoon from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia.
Making it to the SEC title game has become routine for Alabama, and once again they will enter this game as the No. 1 team in America and as the heavy favorite to win.
When the Tide hit the field Saturday afternoon, they will try to become the first team to win three straight SEC championships. The last team to pull off that feat, ironically, is the Florida Gators, who won four consecutive SEC titles between 1993 and 1996.
Even though Alabama heads into this game ranked No. 1 in both the AP college football poll and the college playoff poll, they’re not taking the Gators lightly. If Florida defeats Alabama it would be one of the biggest upsets in SEC Championship history, and that is something head coach Nick Saban doesn’t want to be part of.
“That’s certainly not the mindset that we want,” Saban said. “This is a big game for us. It’s an opportunity to win the SEC championship, which to me is a very, very significant accomplishment. We hold that in very high esteem, having the opportunity to do that, having the ability to do it, having the ability to play for it.”
The Tide would most likely make the CFP tournament even if they did happen to lose this afternoon, but that is an option this team isn’t even thinking about.
“You don’t ever want to lose really,” Tide tight end O.J. Howard said. “You don’t want to have to let the season come down to the committee choosing what your stakes are. We just have to take care of business on the field ourselves and we can control our destiny.”
Controlling their destiny is one thing the Crimson Tide have done well ever since Saban took over as the head coach in 2007.
Not only has Alabama been one of the most winning programs under Saban, they have also collected four national championships along the way.
So, how can the Florida Gators take down the mighty Tide? It will be hard, very hard. This is a David vs. Goliath match for Florida, that’s for sure.
The Gators rank as 13th out of 14 teams in the SEC Conference with 352.7 total yards per game and they are going up against one of the best defenses in college football.
Alabama’s defense has held opponents to national lows this entire season. The Tide give up 68.7 yards a game rushing and only 246.8 yards a game in total offense. Yes, it is going to take a miracle for Florida to pull this one off, but every team always has a chance. That’s why the games are decided on the field and not on paper.
Las Vegas odds makers have Alabama listed as a 24-point favorite with the over/under number set at 40.
Twenty-four points is a lot to lay to anyone in a championship game, but unfortunately Florida may need every one of those points at the game’s end. While the Tide should roll, to come out and say they will basically win by four touchdowns or more is a pretty bold statement. However, scoring over 40 points total shouldn’t be. Florida should put up 10-17 points in this game. If that is the case, then the safer play is “over” the point total of 40.
If you were to wager on over 40, this means that both teams would be combined for over 40 total points in the game.
Prediction – Over 40 Total
The Alabama vs Florida 2016 SEC championship game will be televised nationally on CBS. The game will also be streaming live online through CBS Sports.com. Game time is scheduled to get underway at 4 p.m. ET.
[Featured Image by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images]
