The Alabama Crimson Tide needed a comeback to stay unbeaten last week. Now they welcome a South Carolina Gamecocks team trying to recover from a home loss to Mississippi State.

Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM. ET Saturday, September 26, at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium, with ESPN carrying the game. Alabama is 3-0; South Carolina comes in at 2-1.

My South Carolina vs Alabama prediction weighs the Tide’s offensive response against the defensive problems that made last Saturday so uncomfortable. Here is how I’m playing the spread and total, along with the latest odds.

I’m backing Alabama to cover. The Tide showed how quickly they can turn a game around against Florida State, scoring 20 unanswered points in the final 2:36 of the first half. That was not a comfortable win from start to finish, but the offense gave them room to recover.

Keelon Russell finished with 320 passing yards and three touchdown throws. His ability to threaten a defense without relying on one receiver is important here. South Carolina cannot simply commit extra coverage to Ryan Coleman-Williams and assume the rest of the passing game will disappear.

The Gamecocks have the offensive talent to make this interesting. LaNorris Sellers threw for 282 yards last week, and South Carolina outgained Mississippi State 431-393. The problem was turning that advantage into a win: the Gamecocks went just 6-for-18 on third down and lost 41-34.

That leaves me reluctant to take the points in Tuscaloosa. Long possessions are only helpful if they produce enough scores. If South Carolina keeps needing fourth-down conversions to extend drives, Alabama will have opportunities to get its offense back on the field before the Gamecocks finish the job.

BetMGM, Bet365, and Caesars Sportsbook odds were checked on September 26 for Saturday night at 10:03 AM ET. The BetMGM promo code has the current new-customer offer if you’re opening an account.