The College Football Week 12 is traditionally reserved for games where the top teams go against lesser opponents. You take a look at the schedule for the last week of the season and you see a ton of games with huge playoff implications (Clemson Tigers vs. Miami Hurricanes, Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Auburn Tigers, etc.), so it’s no real surprise that the big boys choose to schedule a bit of a punching bag game prior to their final push for the playoffs, such
If any team needed a bit of a break at this stage of the season, it is almost certainly the Alabama Crimson Tide. They have been hit hard by injuries coming down the stretch, and a game against lesser opposition will allow them the opportunity to give some valuable playing time to bench guys who may be called upon to start in the Iron Bowl against Auburn next weekend.
Alabama should come in as huge College Football odds favorite and have no trouble at all against the Mercer Bears this weekend, and it’s probably all just a matter of how high they want to run the score up in this one.
This is a scenario that is not likely to happen, as Nick Saban is perhaps the most focused coach in college football, and he will be demanding that his players pay attention to the task at hand. As mentioned earlier, this game will serve as the perfect opportunity for Alabama to give their fringe players some work. The Tide have been losing guys to injury at an alarming rate, so it certainly helps to have the back-ups ready to go.
College Football Week 12: Mercer (5-5) at Alabama (10-0) Betting Analysis
Big opportunities on a big stage this Saturday in Tuscaloosa. 🐻⬇️#RoarTogether#BeatBama pic.twitter.com/4gFDVN0O1Z
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) 13 de noviembre de 2017
- When: Saturday, November 18 at 12 PM EST
- Where: Bryant Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa
- Radio: 96.5 FM (Mercer) / 102.9 FM (Alabama)
- Live Stream: SEC Network
- College Football Week 12 Lines: TBA
Weather Forecast
- Chance of Rain: 18°C/65°F
- Humidity: 68%
- Precipitation: 33%
- Cloud Cover: 88%
- Wind: 17 mph WSW
- Stadium Type: Open
Virginia at Miami Week 12 NCAAF Spread & Betting Pick
Matchup Stats
- Points per Game: Mercer Bears 27.00 / Alabama Crimson Tide 39.9
- Passing Yards per Game: Mercer Bears 202.5 / Alabama Crimson Tide 203.3
- Rushing Yards per Game: Mercer Bears 147.00 / Alabama Crimson Tide 270.8
- Opponent Points per Game: Mercer Bears 20.4 / Alabama Crimson Tide 11.2
Why bet on the Mercer Bears?
Taking a look at what Mercer has done this year from a betting standpoint is tough, as they are a team that does not regularly feature on the betting board. What we do know is that the Bears are 5-5 on the season and 4-4 in conference play. They are coming off a good 35-33 win over Western Carolina last weekend, but what Nick Saban and Alabama are sure to be looking at is the last trip that Mercer made to face a ranked team. That came earlier this season when the Bears went on the road to face Auburn in a game that looked like a total mismatch. That Auburn only managed to come away with a 24-10 win in that one should be enough to tell you that Alabama will not be taking the win for granted. They were obviously able to cover the spread in that game and will be looking to keep this thing respectable on Saturday.Bears Latest Results
- Western Carolina: Win 35-33
- Samford: Lose 20-3
- Furman: Lose 28-21
- Chattanooga: Win 30-10
- Citadel: Win 24-14
Why bet on the Alabama Crimson Tide?
The one mistake that Alabama cannot afford to make this weekend is to look beyond this game to the Iron Bowl next weekend. Yes, the upcoming game against Auburn will decide who represents the West in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia in a couple of weeks, but they need to take care of business against Mercer first.
This is a scenario that is not likely to happen, as Nick Saban is perhaps the most focused coach in college football, and he will be demanding that his players pay attention to the task at hand. As mentioned earlier, this game will serve as the perfect opportunity for Alabama to give their fringe players some work. The Tide have been losing guys to injury at an alarming rate, so it certainly helps to have the back-ups ready to go.
Crimson Tide Latest Results
- Mississippi State: Win 31-24
- LSU: Win 24-10
- Tennessee: Win 45-7
- Arkansas: Win 41-9
- Texas A&M: Win 27-19
Latest Betting Trends for College Football Week 12
- Alabama is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
- Alabama is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Alabama’s last 16 games at home
- Crimson Tide are 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games at home
- Crimson Tide are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games at home
