Alabama vs Florida State Prediction, Game Preview, and Betting Lines

Florida State is coming off a horrible 2-10 season after not getting past the full-sulk of how the 2023 campaign ended - Seminole fans wanted a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Alabama is coming off a good first year under Kalen DeBoer, but the team clunked late against Oklahoma, there wasn't an invite to the College Football Playoff, and then things finished worse with a loss to Michigan.

There's no more room for these two programs and their respective coaching staffs to be anything less than stellar.

Alabama is expected to be fantastic. There's a date at Georgia, several landmines to sidestep, but for the most part, the toughest games are in Tuscaloosa.

With one stunning win, Florida State can be back. It gets East Texas A&M, Kent State, and Virginia up next before dealing with Miami.

Alabama vs Florida State How To Watch

Date: Saturday, August 30, 2025
Game Time: 3:30 PM ET
TV: ABC
Location: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL

Why Alabama Will Win

Is the talent really there at Florida State to pull this off?

Boston College transfer quarterback Tommy Castellanos went full troll on the Tide this offseason, and the staff went big in the transfer portal, but Alabama has almost everything in place to be a true contender for the national title.

The receiving corps should give the FSU secondary fits, but the real issue is the Bama O line - it's going to dominate this season. The Seminole defensive front will be active, but it might be a bit of a work in progress early on.

With a new quarterback and new running backs, Bama will bash with that line, try to keep control of the game from the start, and ... 

Nah, it's a Kalen DeBoer attack. It'll let Ty Simpson start throwing from jump, and again, the receivers are there to make big things happen. But ...

Why Florida State Will Win

No quarterback in college football has more pressure on his shoulders.

Other teams - like Notre Dame, Georgia, Oregon, and Michigan - need their new guys under center to be amazing, but the spotlight is on for the Alabama quarterback to be what Michael Penix Jr. was for DeBoer at Washington.

The atmosphere won't exactly be hospitable.

For all the negativity of last season, and all the new guys coming in, this really is a new and improved Florida State.

The offensive line will be outstanding, the receiving corps has far more flash and upside, former Bama back Roydell Williams is a good one, and best of all, in comes former Auburn and UCF head coach Gus Malzahn as the offensive coordinator to run it all.

Florida State should be able to keep up the pace.

Alabama vs Florida State Who Will Win

The Alabama defense is too good to allow this to become a wild and crazy shootout, but that's what it might turn into.

Expect plenty of mood swings. The Florida State offense will work, the team will look and play like it's brand new compared to last year's dud, and ...

Alabama will take over in the fourth quarter by mashing away with that great offensive line. The Seminoles will lose, but they'll look strong enough to signal to the world that they'll be a player this season.

Alabama vs Florida State Prediction, Betting Lines

Alabama 34, Florida State 23
Line: Alabama -13.5, o/u: 50.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
Must See Rating: 4.5

Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.