Texas A&M has opened as a more than two-touchdown underdog to the Alabama Crimson Tide for next week's showdown in Tuscaloosa, the largest line of the season by which the Aggies' opponent has been favored. A&M was only a ten-point dog to LSU on the road, despite the fact that it was a night game, and they were nearly even with Missouri by the time that game started.
Week 8 SEC Opening Lines
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) October 18, 2026
LSU -6.5 at Auburn
Texas A&M at Alabama -15.5
Tennessee -1.5 at South Carolina
Oklahoma -2.5 at Mississippi State
Ole Miss at Texas -3.5
Vanderbilt at Kentucky -11.5
This clearly shows that Vegas believes the public has completely lost faith in the Aggies at this point. After a 4-3 start to the season, where A&M's only wins over Power 4 teams are Arizona State and Arkansas, it's not hard to see why.
The Tide, however, are in the midst of their very own two-game losing streak, having dropped contests to both Georgia and Tennessee in the last two weeks. While that may seem like a reason for Aggie fans to feel confident heading into this game, though, it will likely play out in the exact opposite way— this is a team that is looking for a resounding win, and A&M may be the scapegoat for their pent-up frustration.
Texas A&M opens as massive underdog against Alabama on the road this week
It's hard to say that the Aggies are being overlooked with this kind of line, given the way that the last couple of games on the road have transpired for them. A&M has been horrendous on the road this season, mustering a grand total of 12 points through their two contests away from Kyle Field so far.
The defense has been actually admirable for the Aggies through those games, though— at least at the beginning of them. That unit has worn down as the games have gone on thanks to an anemic offense sticking them back out on the field after only running three plays or so.
That in mind, the Aggies need to do whatever they can to control the pace of this game against the Tide. This is a defense that is filled with excellent athletes, but the Aggies' strength comes in the run game— where Tennessee was able to take advantage of the Tide this past week up in Neyland.
If the Aggies can get things rolling on the ground, ideally with the help of Marcel Reed running the ball, and string together some long drives, then things could actually get interesting. I'm not saying that the Aggies stand a good chance of pulling off their first win in Tuscaloosa since 2012, nor even that A&M is likely to cover here, but there is more of a clearly-defined path to winning than it seemed like there would be even a few weeks ago.
The status of Ryan Coleman-Williams will be a big factor here as well, given that the star Bama WR missed the game against Tennessee, so Aggie fans will no doubt be following that storyline throughout the week. Hopefully, we see this line begin to shrink as game time draws nearer and nearer.
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