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The Mercer Bears (9-1) and the No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide (7-2) meet at Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s college football odds around the Mercer vs. Alabama odds, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.
The FBS Bears extended their winning streak to 3 with a commanding 34-0 win over the VMI Keydets, covering the 21.5-point spread as road favorites with the Under (47.5) cashing. Mercer’s defense dominated, limiting VMI to just 111 total yards — 53 passing and 58 rushing. QB Whitt Newbauer powered the offense, amassing 324 yards (282 passing, 42 rushing) and throwing 3 touchdown passes in a standout performance.
The Crimson Tide claimed their 2nd straight win over a ranked team, defeating then-No. 13, now-No. 22 LSU 42-13. Alabama covered the 3-point spread as road favorites, with the Under (59.5) hitting. QB Jalen Milroe stole the spotlight, passing for 109 yards and rushing for 185 with 4 touchdowns. The Tide’s defense played tough, forcing 3 LSU turnovers to secure a commanding victory. Alabama’s previous win — a 34-0 shutout at home Oct. 26 — was against Missouri, which was ranked No. 17 at the time.
– Rankings: US LBM Coaches Poll, conducted by the American Football Coaches Association and USA TODAY Sports
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Mercer vs. Alabama odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of college football odds. Lines last updated Thursday at 4:02 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Off the board
- Against the spread (ATS): Mercer +41.5 (-105) | Alabama -41.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 57.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
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Mercer vs. Alabama picks and predictions
Prediction
Alabama 47, Mercer 14
Moneyline
There is no moneyline being offered on this game. So take your bet to the spread.
Against the spread
BET MERCER +41.5 (-105).
Alabama heads into this game riding high, having outscored their last two opponents 76-13 and staying in the CFP race. Although the Tide only covered in 2 of their last 5 games, they’re hard to beat when Milroe is rushing effectively as he did against LSU.
Mercer has enjoyed a strong FCS season and covered in 5 of its last 6 games, but the Bears are unlikely to challenge Alabama. Expect the Tide to win handily, though I’ll take the 41.5 points, anticipating a slower second half.
Over/Under
BET OVER 57.5 (-115).
The Crimson Tide are capable of hitting the Over on their own as they did in a 63-0 win against Western Kentucky to open the season. Mercer, which has averaged 36.8 points in its last 5 games and went Over in 3 of its last 4, won’t put up huge numbers against Alabama but is strong enough to add some late points. Expect the Bears to cover with some garbage-time scoring.
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