Alabama rules out four for LSU trip as Coleman-Williams, six others sit questionable

Alabama will be without four players when it visits Baton Rouge on Saturday. Its bigger question is how many of its seven questionable players will be cleared. The SEC's first availability report of the week came out Wednesday night. It listed defensive back Nick Sherman, defensive lineman Jeremiah Beaman and linebackers Cayden Jones and Desmond Umeozulu as out, HEAVY reported. None of the four is a new absence, and none was expected to play.

Umeozulu is the only one of the four likely to return this year. Even that is some way off. Kalen DeBoer said earlier in the week that Umeozulu is "hopeful later on this season," according to HEAVY, but not until near the end of the regular season.

The questionable list matters more for Saturday. It includes wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams, who has not played since he was hurt in the loss to Georgia, plus cornerback Zabien Brown, running back EJ Crowell, center Racin Delgatty, interior lineman Terrance Green, AK Dear and William Sanders. On3 called Coleman-Williams, Crowell, Delgatty, Green and Brown the main names to watch. All five are starters, and the Crimson Tide are coming off a bye week. If most of them play, Alabama gets back a big part of its lineup at the right time.

LSU has injury problems of its own. The Tigers listed safety Dashawn Spears, wide receiver Phillip Wright III, Charles Ross II and defensive tackle Richard Anderson as out, according to On3. Linebacker Whit Weeks is doubtful, and Zach Weeks is questionable. WAFB reported that Whit Weeks fractured his right fibula against Texas A&M on Sept. 26, had surgery and has not played since.

What it means for Saturday in Baton Rouge

Both teams are 6-2, but they come into the game in different form. Alabama has lost two of its last three games. It fell 20-17 at home to Georgia and lost 26-10 at Tennessee, then beat Texas A&M 31-20 before the bye. The Tide scored 45 or more points in five of their first six games and 31 or fewer in each of the last three. That drop happened during the stretch Coleman-Williams has been out.

LSU has won two in a row by a combined 69-17: 31-0 over Mississippi State and 38-17 at Auburn. The Tigers' two losses were by a total of nine points, at Ole Miss and at Kentucky. They have also played well without Whit Weeks. In the game he was hurt, LSU held Texas A&M to six points. Alabama gave up 20 to the Aggies.

The markets favor LSU. On this site's board, which tracks 12 venues, the Tigers are favored at -208 on the moneyline at Novig, with Alabama at +203. Novig has LSU favored by 5.5 points (-106) and Alabama +5.5 at +104. The best Alabama spread anywhere is +6.5 at theScore Bet, priced at -115. That means the venues are a full point apart on how close this game should be. Novig's total is 52.5, and BetRivers has the best over price at 52. Hold at the sportsbooks runs from 3.3% to 6.6% on the moneyline.

The SEC will issue more availability reports before the 2:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC. The next ones should show whether Alabama gets its starters back.