Bama Will Win But Western Kentucky Can Keep It Close In First Half

Western Kentucky vs. Alabama, 7:00 ET

If you are on social media at all, specifically TikTok, you've probably seen a ton of videos about husbands and boyfriends putting in their two week notice to their wives or girlfriends to let them know they are no longer going to be available on Saturday and Sunday until sometime in February. Why? The answer to that one is simple: Football. We kicked off games last week with Week 0 and a small appetizer of games. Now, we are ready for the main course as the teams start kicking off. This one will between Western Kentucky and Alabama won't be close, but is the spread too high? 

Western Kentucky comes into this game with low expectations for the season. However, last year, they did put together a nice campaign with an 8-5 record after winning the Famous Toastery Bowl. However, if you want to be critical of last year's team, it is fairly easy considering they played just one ranked team and lost the game 63-10. The team will have a new era without having Austin Reed under center for this season. He started all but the Bowl game last year. The starter in that one was Caden Veltkamp, but even he won't be under center. Instead, the team puts TJ Finley in charge. He has spent time with LSU, Auburn, and Texas Sate. At 6'7" and 240 pounds he is a beast and tough to tackle. Finley threw for almost 3,500 yards last season and had 24 touchdowns with just 8 interceptions. Although this is the first game of the season, there really is nothing to lose for Western Kentucky. They can take as many chances as they want and under head coach Tyson Helton, they will take plenty of chances and try to test this Alabama secondary. Defensively, Western Kentucky will struggle. Their secondary is mostly comprised of transfer portal athletes - which isn't a knock, but it may take some time for them to adjust. 

DALLAS, TEXAS - JULY 17: Head coach Kalen DeBoer of the Alabama Crimson Tide speaks during SEC Football Media Days at Omni Dallas Hotel on July 17, 2024 in Dallas, Texas.  (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Another team that is stepping into a new era is Alabama. That's because Nick Saban has stepped into retirement and is no longer at the helm. That doesn't mean that the program will completely fall apart. Look, there is no replacing Saban, but I think Kalen DeBoer is a decent person to receive the torch and to keep the Tide, ahem, rolling. Pun aside, Alabama will look to improve on last season where they went 12-2, losing their final game to eventual champion, Michigan. Alabama gave them all they could handle though, pushing the game to overtime before giving up a touchdown. Jalen Milroe will need to learn a new offense, one that needs to rely a bit more on the running game. Milroe had a good season last year, throwing for 2,834 yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He also utilized his legs to get 531 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. He isn't a run-first quarterback. He is a smart player that finds the right time to take off. The offense wasn't exactly explosive last year, but against the Western Kentucky defense they should be able to dictate the offensive flow and find ways to score both on the ground and through the air.

There are very few times that I think teams will have a new coach and everything will go perfectly. I can't say that the first half of the football game between Western Kentucky and Alabama will go well for both teams. I think the defense should be great for Alabama, but it is possible the offense struggles to adjust. I also think that Western Kentucky will pull out all the stops in the first half, trying to find a way to keep the game close. I like Western Kentucky +17.5 in the first half of this game. Maybe Alabama blows the doors off of them, but I'd expect it to be in the second half once everyone settles in and makes the necessary adjustments. 

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