If you ever wondered how much impact Alabama football head coach Nick Saban has on his football team’s success, we got an answer Wednesday afternoon.
According to sportsbooks, it’s about two points.
The betting line on nearly every sportsbook swung toward the Georgia Bulldogs after Wednesday afternoon’s news that Saban and Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne both tested positive for COVID-19.
BetMGM actually took the step of removing the game from its sportsbook.
The No. 2-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide are scheduled to face the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs at 7 p.m. CT on Saturday.
Before BetMGM removed the game, it moved the line from Alabama as a six-point favorite to being a 4.5-point favorite. And the odds of Alabama winning outright went from -220 to -185.
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Caesars/Harrah’s line had a bigger move, according to VegasInsider. It went from Alabama as a six-point favorite entering the day to Alabama as a five-point favorite at 4:53 p.m. CT shortly after the news of Saban’s positive test. Eight minutes later, the line moved to Alabama as a four-point favorite.
Saban is in his 14th season as the Alabama football head coach.
Erik Hall is the lead digital producer for sports with the USA Today Network. You can find him on Twitter @HallErik.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship, and there is no influence on news coverage.
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