Western Kentucky at Alabama Pick & Prediction For 8/31/2024

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are set to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide on August 31, 2024. As of now, the Hilltoppers are 31.5 point underdogs according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Early betting action shows 73% of spread bets favoring Western Kentucky, while 27% of bets are on Alabama. The initial total of 59.5 has seen 76% of bets going towards the under and 24% towards the over. This matchup is shaping up to be an intriguing showdown between the two teams, even if Alabama is expected to win big.

Is Third Time the Charm For TJ Finley?

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers went 8-5 overall and 5-3 in Conference USA last season. Their offense ranked third in total scoring among Conference USA teams, with their defense letting them down at times against better competition. This year, the Hilltoppers will hope that a transfer quarterback will lead to more offensive success, though that could be tough to come by against the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide.

TJ Finley started his collegiate career at Auburn and moved onto Texas State after that, with his transfer to Western Kentucky marking his third school in his career. Finley threw for 3,439 yards with 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions a season ago. But against the best defense he is going to face all season, there will understandably be questions about how Finley performs in this contest.

Can Alabama Bounce Back From Semifinal Struggles?

The last time we saw the Alabama Crimson Tide on a football field, they were in the Rose Bowl against Michigan, which doubled as the semifinal of the College Football Playoff. Alabama went to overtime with the eventual national champions, but were stopped near the goal line on their final possession to end their hopes of winning a national title. Now Alabama is set for its first game without Nick Saban as its head coach, as they kick off the Kalen DeBoer era against Western Kentucky.

Of course, DeBoer coached Washington to a national championship game appearance behind Michael Penix Jr., who was a Heisman Trophy finalist. Now DeBoer hopes that Jalen Milroe will have a similarly huge year for him at his new home in Tuscaloosa. Against Western Kentucky, both Milroe and DeBoer should get off to a strong start given the defensive woes of the Hilltoppers.

Western Kentucky vs Alabama Best Bet

Alabama should have no problem steamrolling Western Kentucky in Week 1 of the 2024 college football season. We will lay the points with the Crimson Tide here, as their defense should give them a huge edge against Finley, while Milroe and the Alabama offense should be able to move the ball at will at home.

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