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Kentucky vs Alabama Football Picks & Predictions

Written October 2, 2009 by Hector Garza

Here come the Crimson Tide this weekend! Alabama takes on the Kentucky, who is coming off a disappointing loss to #1 Florida, 41-7. This SEC matchup will take place on Saturday at 12:21 p.m. EDT. The Wildcats would love the upset, but will face another undefeated team that is a contender for the National title. The tide are ready to go 5-0 the NCAA football odds have them as 16 point favorites. The total is set for 46.5 points.

The Tide will be without playmaker Dont’a Hightower, who suffered a season ending knee injury against Arkansas last week. Hightower was a major contributor, totaling 16 tackles with 4 for a loss. The unit is not expected to miss a beat, as they’re currently second nationally in total defense, allowing a measly 202.5 ypg. They’ve effectively shut down the run through 4 contests this year, allowing 47.3 ypg. Those numbers include strong opponents like #6 Va. Tech.

Greg McElroy has a done a great job thus far in his first year starting for Alabama. The QB has thrown 7 td’s with only 1 interception. He’s completed almost 68% of his passes and thrown for over 900 yards in 4 games. Three of the games were blowouts. Running the ball hasn’t been a problem as the Tide has a stable of solid ball carriers. 4 RB’s have over 100 yards rushing with the avg. ranging from 4.2 to 9.7 yards per carry.

The Wildcats will have to perform much better against another stout defense to stand a chance. Last week against Florida, Kentucky was held to 179 yards of offense and was under 20% on third down conversions. Randall Cobb is the team’s leading WR, and he and QB Mike Hartline will be looking to combine for some big plays. Derrick Locke at RB has tremendous speed and will also be relied upon for some instant offense. If you bet on college football, you owe it to yourself to check out the $500 match bonus going on at BetUS.

Defensively the team is giving up way too much ground. Alabama, who’s rushed for 230 plus ypg, will be looking to exploit the holes in a defense that’s allowed over 185 ypg running the football. Every unit, from the line to linebackers to secondary, must play a mistake free to stand a chance. The fact that the game is at home should help the Wilcats rally and give them an edge.

If the 495 yards and 4 touchdowns that Florida put last week is any indication of this game, the Wildcats are looking at being 0-2 in the SEC. Alabama has dominated the series 34-2-1, and this year the trend looks to continue. The Crimson Tide has averaged over 40 ppg, compiling 490 ypg in the process. Kentucky has the power to put points on the board, and will be looking for big plays. However, the explosive offense combined with such a stingy defense is the reason Alabama covers the spread. Look for the over of 46.5 to be a good play for this week’s contest.

Garza’s Pick: Kentucky/Alabama OVER 46.5

Check back each week for even more NCAA football predictions from the best handicappers in the business. You simply can’t find a better place for expert football picks anywhere.

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