Georgia Bulldogs at Alabama Crimson Tide Odds & Game Pick (2020)
One of the greatest rivalries in present-day college football will kick off Sunday night in Tuscaloosa when the #3 ranked Bulldogs visit the #2 ranked Crimson Tide in an early-season SEC clash.
While no key players will be missing for either side, Alabama head coach Nick Saban will be at home as a positive COVID test came in this week, barring him from team facilities until he can produce a negative.
With the news, the line has been on the move with money coming in on the road Dawgs. Is it an overreaction? Let’s take a closer look.
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
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Details
- Opening Lines: Alabama -7.5; 59
- Current Line: Alabama -4.5
- O/U: 56.5
- Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL
- Start Time: 8:00 pm ET
- Television: CBS
- Last Meeting: December 1, 2018– Alabama 35, Georgia 28
Overview
When Tua Tagovailoa bolted for the NFL Draft this offseason, there was an overwhelming sense a drop off was coming for this Alabama offense that has been so potent in recent years. Now a junior, Mac Jones had different ideas.
Through three games against mostly formidable SEC opponents, Jones leads the country in passing efficiency with a rating of 220.3 to along with eight touchdowns and just one interception. Over his last two against high-powered Ole Miss and a much improved Texas A&M, Jones led his team to a combined 115 points while throwing for 852 yards.
Albeit against an offensive mastermind in Lane Kiffin last week, this Alabama defense got gashed like we rarely have seen in the last decade, allowing 647 yards from scrimmage and 48 points on six touchdowns.
Luckily for the Crimson Tide, the Kiffin-experience is over, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t facing another challenge this week in the emergence of Georgia junior quarterback Stetson Bennett. A former walk-on, Stetson was the 4th-string quarterback heading into the summer and through a string of injuries and happenstance, finds himself leading the #3 team in the country in impressive fashion.
Through three games, Stetson has yet to throw a pick and has five touchdowns along with the #3 QBR in the country (93.1). Unfortunately for Stetson, however, he takes a significant step up in competition this week and is facing a defense fresh off an embarrassing performance last week.
- The under is 5-0 in the last five Alabama games following a game in which they allowed 40+ points
- The under is 8-1 in Georgia games in their last nine against teams with a winning record
- Alabama is 6-0 ATS in their last six following an ATS loss
Bottom Line
Is Nick Saban really worth 2 to 3 points to an Alabama team that has two-deep NFL talent at nearly every position, not to mention a coordinator likely to once again soon be a college head coach yet again?
I have my doubts.
While much has been made about Saban’s perfect record against his former assistants, it’s often not mentioned his assistants are leaving for programs with significantly less talent both at the skill positions and in the rest of the staff.
This line has already started to move back in favor of Alabama, hitting -3 in faraway places which I would love to have in-pocket. What I am much more confident about, however, is the idea of this Alabama team making life for Stetson miserable and vice versa for Jones.
With that in mind, a 23-17 type game is what I could most likely see playing out.
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TJ Perun is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from TJ, check out his archive and follow him @JohnnyCovers.