by Rod Pearson
Sunday, Dec 31, 2023
Game Time: 5:00 pm ET, Monday, January 1, 2024
Venue: Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, CA
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Alabama +1.5, Michigan -1.5; Over/Under: 45 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Alabama +2, Michigan -2; Over/Under: 45 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Alabama +1.5, Michigan -1.5; Over/Under: 45 points
Season Record
Alabama Crimson Tide: 12-1 (9-0) (1st place, SEC West)
Michigan Wolverines: 13-0 (9-0) (1st place, Big Ten East)
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Alabama Crimson Tide: won their last game at a neutral site against the Georgia Bulldogs 27-24.
Michigan Wolverines: won their last game at a neutral site against the Iowa Hawkeyes 26-0.
Alabama Crimson Tide vs Michigan Wolverines Preview and Analysis
Alabama is entering this game with a 12-1 record overall and they have an 8-0 record in their conference games too. They are 6-1 in their home games, 5-0 in their road games, and they are also 1-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They won their last game against Georgia 27-24. Jalen Milroe was the starting QB and he completed 13/23 passes for 192 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Roydell Williams led the team in rushing yards with 64 and 1 TD. Isaiah Bond led the receivers with 79 receiving yards on 5 receptions. Terrion Arnold led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 1 assisted tackle while Dallas Turner and Justin Eboigbe each led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that game.
Michigan is entering this game with a 13-0 record overall and they have a 9-0 record in their conference games too. They are 7-0 in their home games, 5-0 in their road games, and they are also 1-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They won their last game against Iowa 26-0. J.J. McCarthy was the starting QB and he completed 22/30 passes for 147 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Blake Corum led the team in rushing yards with 52 and 2 TDs. Cornelius Johnson led the receivers with 64 receiving yards on 9 receptions. Junior Colson led the defense in that game with 4 solo tackles and 4 assisted tackles while Braiden McGregor, Mike Sainristil, Jaylen Harrell, and Derrick Moore each led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that game.
Alabama vs Michigan Prediction
The current betting odds have Alabama listed as a 1.5 point underdog in this Rose Bowl game for the CFP Semifinals according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Alabama has looked great in their games this season with their 12-1 record overall and they were undefeated in the SEC this season with their 8-0 conference record. They beat Georgia in the SEC Championship and even though they had a very rough start to the year, losing to Texas at home in the first few weeks too, they have looked like one of the best teams in the country in their games lately. Meanwhile, Michigan has also looked great in their games this season with their 13-0 record overall as they also went to the Big Ten Championship and won it. Michigan has been a really resilient team this season too with all of the outside distractions, but the last few years they have been falling short of the mark when getting to the playoffs. They looked like one of the best teams in the country last year but lost to TCU in the semifinals. Michigan just hasn't had success at this level in a long time while Alabama has and even though Alabama missed out last season, Saban has plenty of experience in these games and will have his team ready to go with that experience translating onto the field. The best way to place a bet here is on Alabama to cover the spread in this game.
Alabama Michigan Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Monday, January 1, 2024 (5:00 pm ET start time) is Alabama 23 Michigan 20.
Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this Alabama Crimson Tide Michigan Wolverines prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAF predictions and previews.
NCAAF Betting Trends
Alabama Crimson Tide: 0-5 ATS as a neutral field underdog of 3 points or less. 6-11 ATS off an upset win as an underdog. 8-3 OVER in all games. 11-5 OVER off 1 or more consecutive unders. 8-2 OVER after a game where they committed no turnovers.
Michigan Wolverines: 26-14 ATS in all games. 23-13 ATS as a favorite. 20-8 ATS off a win against a conference rival. 20-8 OVER in a bowl game. 15-4 OVER as a neutral field favorite. 10-1 OVER on a neutral field where the total is between 42.5 and 49.
Key Injuries
Alabama Crimson Tide: J. MccLellan (RB) Ques Mon - Foot.
Michigan Wolverines: D. Warren (QB) Ques Mon - Undisclosed. Z. Zinter (OL) out for season - Leg. K. English (WR) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. C. Stokes (RB) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. L. Forbes (WR) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
“Well, we had some really good rat poison early, It was almost like Wheaties because everybody criticized us and said, ‘We weren’t any good and we were done and Coach Saban is past his prime and all that.’ It was like eating Wheaties, breakfast of champions. That helped us. So now can we handle the success? That’s the next question.” - Nick Saban on winning the SEC Championship and going to the college football playoff this season.
“It made me feel super great. I’ve got one question for the Michigan Nation, who’s got a better team than us?” - John Harbaugh after his team’s win against Iowa in their last game which was the Big Ten Championship.
Starting Lineups
Alabama Crimson Tide
WR Benson, Malik
WR Burton, Jermaine
WR Bond, Isaiah
TE Dippre, CJ
QB Milroe, Jalen
RB McClellan, Jase
Michigan Wolverines
WR Johnson, Cornelius
WR Wilson, Roman
TE Barner, A.J.
TE Loveland, Colston
QB McCarthy, J.J.
RB Corum, Blake
FB Bredeson, Max
Statistical Leaders
Alabama Crimson Tide
Passing: J. Milroe (2718)
Rushing: J. MccLellan (803)
Receiving: J. Burton (777)
Touchdowns: J. Milroe (12)
Michigan Wolverines
Passing: J. McCarthy (2630)
Rushing: B. Corum (1028)
Receiving: R. Wilson (662)
Touchdowns: B. Corum (24)
Coaches:
Alabama Crimson Tide: Nick Saban (17th season)
Michigan Wolverines: Jim Harbaugh (9th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
