Injury to Alabama quarterback could impact future betting lines

Bryce Young stood on the Alabama sideline wincing in pain.

The injured shoulder that knocked the Crimson Tide quarterback from Saturday’s game at Arkansas in the first half was part of the reason for the look of discomfort on Young’s face.

Watching Arkansas storm back in the second half was the other.

With its Heisman Trophy-winning QB unavailable, Alabama leaned on its running game in the fourth quarter and beat the Razorbacks 49-26 to cover as 17-point favorites.

Young sprained his shoulder and is day to day, according to Alabama coach Nick Saban. The injury is not considered serious.

But Young’s status will impact oddsmakers for Alabama’s game next Saturday against Texas A&M and beyond.

“I’ll have to see what the Alabama situation is before I make any decision,” South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews said via text message. “If Young is out, it has to affect the number at least a little.”

Young was 7-for-13 for 173 yards, one touchdown and one interception before he was shoved to the ground by an Arkansas defender and sustained a sprained AC joint. He watched as the Razorbacks rallied from a 28-7 deficit to get within five points in the third quarter.

Crimson Tide running back Jahmyr Gibbs had scoring runs of 72 and 76 yards in the fourth quarter. Backup quarterback Jalen Milroe also had a 77-yard scramble to set up a short touchdown run.

Milroe, a redshirt freshman, completed 4 of 9 passes for 65 yards and a touchdown. He added 91 yards and a score on six carries.

“We don’t know much about the backup kid as a passer yet, so it could be a considerable adjustment if Young is out for an extended period,” Westgate SuperBook director John Murray said via text message.

At the window

Another round of Top 25 upsets helped the sportsbooks have a winning day.

Purdue’s 20-10 win over No. 21 Minnesota, an 11½-point home favorite, was one of the bigger decisions at the SuperBook, Murray said. No. 1 Georgia failing to cover as 30½-point chalk and Ohio losing in overtime but covering -13 at Kent State also were helpful outcomes for the house.

“It was a really solid day for us,” Murray said. “We did give back a chunk on Clemson in the night game, but overall we were pleased with the day.”

Georgia’s 26-22 victory at Missouri and underdog Texas Christian’s 55-24 pounding of No. 18 Oklahoma were two of the most important results, according to Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito.

“Overall a pretty good day,” Esposito said via text message. “TCU was huge early.”

Fumbles crush Kentucky

It was a cruel ending for Kentucky money-line bettors, who were teased with an apparent go-ahead touchdown late before it all went up in smoke.

The No. 7 Wildcats covered as 6½-point road underdogs but have only themselves to blame for a 22-19 defeat at No. 14 Mississippi. Kentucky fumbled twice in Rebels territory in the final 2:55 and committed a costly penalty as well.

After forcing a punt following the first fumble, Kentucky took over with 1:42 left and connected on a long pass to the Rebels 8-yard-line with less than a minute remaining. The Wildcats appeared to take the lead one snap later but were flagged for illegal motion to nullify the touchdown.

On the next play, Kentucky quarterback Will Levis was sacked and fumbled, and Mississippi recovered to preserve its undefeated record.

The Wildcats were a popular choice at Caesars Sportsbook, taking in 78 percent of the spread tickets and 59 percent of the handle.

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.