CFB Week 11 early lines: Alabama giving nearly a TD vs. LSU

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Each week we'll break down the opening lines for the biggest college football games on the card, looking at where the early money is going and how the spread may move leading up to kickoff.

No. 1 LSU at No. 2 Alabama

Opening line: Alabama -7

The "Game of the Year" is finally here featuring LSU and Alabama, two schools that seem to provide this type of spectacle every few years. This time, Alabama is laying nearly a touchdown despite being on the lower end of a No. 1 vs. No. 2 clash.

The Tide opened as 7-point favorites, though bettors quickly bought that up and pushed the spread to -6.5, and it'd be surprising to see it climb back over -7. The total, meanwhile, has already moved from 63 to 65 with a wave of early public support. Both teams have posted two straight unders, though they've scored at least 35 points in 15 of their combined 16 games.

If there's ever a time to fade Nick Saban, it's in a spot like this. The Bama coach has lost five of his last six against the spread when giving seven or fewer points, and he's 1-4 ATS with Alabama as a home favorite of seven or less.

No. 5 Penn State at No. 13 Minnesota

Opening line: Penn State -7

The Gopher faithful couldn't get College GameDay to come to campus for this one, but it doesn't lessen the significance of this Big Ten bout between two undefeated teams.

Sharps are buying Minnesota early, which is predictable given the hefty line for public favorite Penn State. If you like the Gophers, it's best to grab them early at a key number, though a rash of public side bets and parlays on the Nittany Lions could keep the line hovering around -6/-6.5 for most of the week.

This is a relatively new spot for both coaches: Penn State's James Franklin has only been favored twice on the road against a ranked team, while Minnesota's P.J. Fleck has never been a ranked home 'dog.

No. 18 Iowa at No. 16 Wisconsin

Opening line: Wisconsin -9.5

A few weeks ago, this game had Week 11 Big Ten headliner written all over it. Then each team dropped a pair of games - one predictable, one inexcusable - to limp into Saturday's affair.

Bettors don't see much difference between these teams, betting the line down from Wisconsin -9.5 to -8.5, though it would take some surprising movement for the Badgers to lay less than a touchdown versus Iowa despite two straight losses.

In his coaching career with Pittsburgh and Wisconsin, Paul Chryst is 5-1-1 ATS coming off two straight losses, most recently beating Iowa in 2016 as a 4-point favorite. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz is 1-5-1 ATS / 0-7 straight up as a road 'dog since 2016.

C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.