Alabama Opens as a Road Favorite Over Tennessee

Alabama has no time to breathe after its near-death experience against South Carolina. This Saturday, the Crimson Tide must hit the road and face Tennessee in another pivotal SEC matchup. This should be a very tight contest, and the opening line at FanDuel Sportsbook has No. 7 Alabama as a 2.5-point road favorite over No. 11 Tennessee.

When the Crimson Tide won 34-20 in Tuscaloosa last year, they were 9-point favorites over the Volunteers. While much of Alabama's roster is the same, the coaching staff has seen significant turnover, and there have been questions about Kalen DeBoer's ability to get the most out of his players.

Alabama is 5-1, but after suffering a shocking loss to Vanderbilt two weeks ago, the team did not bounce back as many expected. The Crimson Tide barely escaped with a 2-point home win over South Carolina in a game where they were favored by 21.5 points.

Meanwhile, Tennessee bounced back last week with a much-needed overtime win over Florida, but the effort was unconvincing. The Gators outgained the Vols regarding total yardage and first downs, and redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleave had another uneven performance.

We will learn a lot about whether or not these teams can elevate as serious SEC contenders this Saturday, and Alabama faithful will hope the Crimson Tide can come through in their role as road favorites.

Related: Paul Finebaum: ‘Everything On the Line’ in Week 7 College Football Rivalry Game