Texas A&M returns to SEC play Saturday, traveling to Tuscaloosa to face No. 13 Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The Aggies improved to 4-3 after defeating The Citadel 41-0 last weekend, but their struggles against SEC competition remain a concern. Texas A&M is 1-3 in conference play and has scored just six points in each of its two road losses to LSU and Missouri.
Alabama enters the matchup 5-2 after consecutive losses to Georgia and Tennessee, including a 26-10 defeat in Knoxville last Saturday. The Crimson Tide have struggled offensively during that stretch, putting additional pressure on quarterback Keelon Russell and head coach Kalen DeBoer to turn things around.
Both teams have plenty to prove, but Alabama enters Saturday as a roughly two-touchdown favorite. Texas A&M will need a much better offensive performance than it has produced in its previous SEC road games to have a chance at pulling off the upset.
Here is who the experts and prediction models are picking to win this week's matchup:
- Bill Connelly – ESPN SP+:Alabama
- David Kenyon – Bleacher Report:Alabama
- Tom Fornelli – CBS Sports:Alabama
- Trent Knoop – The Big Lead:Alabama
- ESPN Analytics – Alabama with an 83.9% win probability
For the Aggies, the biggest question remains whether the offense can produce enough points to keep the game competitive. Marcel Reed and the running game will need to sustain drives, avoid turnovers and prevent Alabama from building an early lead.
Texas A&M has not won in Tuscaloosa since 2012. Ending that drought would require its best SEC performance of the season and give Mike Elko's team a much-needed signature victory.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M Week 8 expert picks for matchup vs. Alabama