This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
College Football Picks: Georgia vs. Alabama Best Bets
Get in on the college football action for 2023 with ESPN BET promo code ROTO featuring a $250 bonus bet offer! RotoWire has plenty of college football betting tools and info to keep you in the loop this season. From the latest college football odds to college football futures and Heisman odds, we have you covered.
Georgia and Alabama face off in the SEC Championship game for the second time in three years. Off back-to-back national titles, Georgia has won 29 straight games, with their last loss coming in the 2021 SEC Championship game to Alabama. Most experts expect Georgia to emerge victorious and advance and make their 3rd straight College Football Playoff appearance, but an Alabama win would cause a ton of conjecture.
Georgia vs Alabama Betting Odds for Championship Week
Spread: Georgia -5.5 (DraftKings Sportsbook); Alabama +5.5 (ESPN Bet)
Moneyline: Georgia -205 (DraftKings Sportsbook); Alabama +185 (BetMGM)
Total: Over 54.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook); Under 54.5 (PointsBet)
Jump in on Championship Week with a BetMGM bonus code sporting a $1,500 bonus bet offer.
Georgia vs Alabama Betting Picks for Championship Week
This is the type of game that, while it may not have many implications in the revamped 2024 12-team playoff, will be sure to have massive implications this year, with some speculating that undefeated Georgia may be left out with a loss. Georgia opened as 3 or 3.5-point favorites, depending on the sportsbook, but sharp money quickly steamed this line to 5.5/6, even reaching 6.5 in some books. The total has also had its fair share of movement, opening at 54.5 and moving up to 56, then returning to the original total of 54.5 on most major books.
Georgia vs Alabama Expert Pick: Over 54.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Snare a piece of the action during Championship Week with a FanDuel Sportsbook promo code for $150 on a $5 moneyline bet if your team wins!
While both these teams have top-end defenses, they are not the same Alabama or Georgia teams we are used to. Neither Georgia nor Alabama have the plethora of first-round picks that we are used to seeing. While both teams have been winning games with top-end defenses, their offenses have been difference makers, Georgia especially. Georgia is second in the SEC and fifth in the country in yards per game while scoring an average of 39.6 yards per game. Georgia hasn't been doing it with their typical ground and pound either as they are eighth in the nation in passing yards per game. Alabama, on the other hand, while they are third in the SEC in defense, has also been averaging 35.6 points per game, good for 17th in the country. While these aren't the typical Alabama and Georgia teams we are used to, I would expect this game to be as hard-fought as the previous matchups.
Georgia vs Alabama Predictions for Championship Week
While both these teams have very good defenses, I think both will have difficulty trying to contain each other's offenses. Both of these teams do a very good job of passing and running, which will keep them ahead of the chains and keep the defense off balance. With a trio of receivers in Dominic Lovett, Ladd McConkey and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, and arguably college football's top player in Brock Bowers, to pair with a solid running game, stopping the Georgia offense is a tall task. On the other hand, Jalen Milroe has been leading the Alabama offense to new heights. After being benched at the start of the year against USF, Milroe has now catapulted himself into fourth in the Heisman odds. With Milroe playing some of his best football at the end of the year, the Crimson Tide offense has averaged 43.6 points per game over their last five games. With the balance of the Georgia offense and the difficulty they put on a defense to be aware of every man on the field, and the pressure that Milroe puts on a defense with his ability to both throw and run, it will put a big stress on both Alabama and Georgia's defense. I see a fairly high-scoring affair with the winning team likely putting up 35 points and the loser within one score of that. While Georgia likely wins, this is a great matchup, and the over seems to have the most value in this one.
