Top Team In Nation Puts It All On The Line.
There is only one football game this holiday weekend that is drawing national attention, and it’s not being played in the NFL.
It’s the Iron Bowl. It’s No. 1 Alabama at No. 6 Auburn. And it’s scheduled for kickoff on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET, where the No. 1 team in the country is favored by five points as they square off against the Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
The Crimson Tide have won the last three Iron Bowls, but none of them was more important than this one. The rivalry, which started in 1893, got its name from Birmingham, Alabama’s historic role in the steel industry.
If you played VGB’s college football Week 12 parlay pick, you have a winning ticket. Virginia gave Miami all it could handle and covered the spread, even though the Cavaliers lost. Kansas covered against Oklahoma as well, even though the point spread hovered between 38 and 39 points up to game time. The winning ticket returned $66.13 for a $25 parlay bet.
Let’s try and make it two in a row with another two-team parlay. These rivalry games are huge this week (odds provided by bovada.lv). Take Auburn (+5) over Alabama and Ohio State (-12.5) over Michigan for $25. If both teams beat the spread, the payoff is $66.13. If either team loses against the spread, the ticket is void.
No. 1 Alabama at No. 6 Auburn — This game is a whole lot more than just bragging rights for the state of Alabama. If Alabama wins this one, the playoff picture is clear. If Auburn wins, well … let the chaos begin. Many teams would then starting arguing for one of the four coveted spots.
The winner of the Iron Bowl advances to the Southeastern Conference final on Dec. 2 in Atlanta against the Georgia Bulldogs.
Alabama (11-0) has played just three road games this season. Their closest games of the year were both on the road — against Texas A&M and Mississippi State. The Crimson Tide are 5-6 against the spread this season, and 1-2 ATS on the road.
This is the third time this year Auburn has not been favored. The last time that happened, the Tigers (9-2) were a 2.5-point underdog against Georgia. They crushed the former No. 1 team 40-17. Auburn is 4-6-1 against the spread this season, and 2-4 ATS at home.
While this will be their biggest test of the season, Auburn has not lost all year at home.
No. 9 Ohio State at Michigan — To say these two schools don’t like each other is putting it mildly.
The school from Ohio is 9-2, and must run the table to have a shot at the national playoffs. The school from Michigan is 8-3, and would like nothing better than to spoil the Buckeyes’ party.
Michigan’s offense is in bad shape. In their three losses, they managed just 33 points. They have been underdogs twice this year, and both times they lost big. Don’t plan on the Buckeyes having any mercy on them.
Ohio State is 5-6 against the spread this season, but they’re 3-1 ATS on the road. J.T. Barrett and company can score in bunches. The Buckeyes have won the last 14 of 16 meetings between these two schools and they need a statement win to draw the attention of the rankings committee.
Every team in VGB’s Top 10 won last weekend. Some teams had tough conferences games, others were featured in Cupcake Saturday. (Current odds, provided by bovada.lv, to win the national championship listed after team record.)
Summary
Chris Wassel AA, AAS CURRENTLY Sports Writer and Journalist RESIDES IN Rahway, NJ EDUCATION Union County College, Montclair State University EXPERTISE Business, Writing, Sports, Food, Grilling, Olympics, Injuries, Politics, and more Summary Member of FSWA, FSGA, and a variety of Sports Betting Groups. Lead arranger of news and injury reports for Rotoballer Hockey. Also did the news lead for NASCAR on the same site coming out of COVID. Strategy and mapping out of various sports betting and sports articles for MyNHLTradeRumors and gambling.com. Runs a hockey and fantasy hockey podcast that teaches fantasy hockey players how to improve their skills. Experience Chris Wassel has 20+ years of sports journalistic experience in various disciplines.. His ability to play sports is well documented. Most people in the business just write. However, Chris will race cars and even a super Moto bike from time to time. There is that fitness and hiking/cycling aspect too. Chris has climbed mountains from Mount Washington to Mount San Jacinto in Palm Springs, California. For those that do not know. Chris also dabbles in food eating contests and challenges. Having a unique background with friends including Joey Chestnut and Casey Webb, Chris has the ability to eat a whole 16-pound turkey or a 32 inch meat lover's pizza. Since 2013, Chris has primarily focused on sports writing and fitness. On social media, he will answer any question in many different aspects. Even Chris's ability to wager on Entertainment and US Elections is well documented. He was able to predict Joe Biden's inevitable dip in approval rating below 40%. Throughout his career, Chris has worked at a lot of places from DraftKings to USA Today and much more. Finally, Chris has been nominated for quite a few awards from the Fantasy Sports Writers Association for Hockey Writer Of The Year. Also, there have been a number of amazing fantasy hockey championships from expert to high-stake leagues. Education Chris received an Associates from Union Country College for business and accounting. Chris did sports journalism work at Montclair State University covering the hockey, baseball, and football teams. Quote from Chris Wassel "Do Not Think, Just Do.”
Education
1999 Graduate of Union County College
1993 Graduate of Rahway High School
Professional Achievements
Media credentialed member of the New Jersey Devils since 2010
Covered several NHL Drafts including the one day event in Newark in 2013
Been on countless podcasts, TV shows, and more including Sportsnet and even NHL Network