Dawgs and Crimson Tide Battle Again in Matchup of Top 5 Teams
The game of the year is here! Even in a truncated season, all eyes are on the SEC for what could be the first of multiple meetings this season between No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0) and No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs (3-0).
This prime-time game kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on CBS.
The Crimson Tide lead the all-time series 40-25-4 with five straight wins. The last two meetings have been in Atlanta for the 2018 SEC Championship Game (35-28) and the 2018 National Championship Game (26-23 in overtime). Georgia has won its last two trips to Tuscaloosa, including a 26-23 victory in 2007.
Georgia Bulldogs Betting Outlook: Get to Jones
Georgia is 2-1 ATS on the season after pulling away from Tennessee last week in a 44-21 win. The Bulldogs offense ranks 23rd in the nation in scoring (36 points per game), 31st in passing (248 yards per game), 36th in rushing (172 yards per game) and 34th in total yards (420 yards per game).
The defense has been fantastic, allowing the fewest rushing yards (38.3 yards per game) in the nation while ranking fifth in scoring defense (12.3 points per game) and second in total yards allowed (236.7 yards per game).
After a slow start against the Vols, quarterback Stetson Bennett got going in the second half and finished 16-for-27 for 238 yards and two touchdowns. On the season, he has completed 63% of his passes for 689 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.
Georgia ran for 193 yards on 50 carries against Tennessee. Kendall Milton had the most yards (56), while Zahir White had 50 yards and a score on 22 carries. White has 209 yards on the season with four of Georgia’s five rushing touchdowns.
After going for 147 yards against Auburn, wide receiver Kearis Jackson caught four passes for 91 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee. Bennett completed passes to nine different players, and defensive lineman Jalen Carter had the other touchdown catch. On the season, Jackson has 19 catches for 300 yards, while wide receiver Geroge Pickens leads the team with two receiving touchdowns.
The defense held Tennessee to minus-one rushing yard on 27 carries with a long run of eight. The Bulldogs forced three turnovers and had five sacks, two each from linebackers Azeez Ojulari and Channing Tindall.
Alabama Crimson Tide Betting Outlook: Fix the Defense
Alabama didn’t cover at Ole Miss on Saturday in a 63-48 win, and it is 1-2 ATS on the season. Betting with us at RealBookies.com has the over in Alabama games at 3-0.
The Tide rank first in the nation in scoring (51 points per game), second in passing yards (385 yards per game) and third in total yards (560.3 yards per game). The defense ranks 44th in points allowed (30.3 points per game), 66th in total yards allowed (473 yards per game) and 70th in passing yards (322.3 yards per game).
Quarterback Mac Jones is among the Heisman favorites at www.PayPerHead247.com with +550 odds, the best of any SEC player. On Saturday night, he was an impressive 28-of-32 for 417 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers. On the season, he has completed 80% of his passes for 1,101 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception.
Senior running back Najee Harris scorched Ole Miss for 206 yards and five touchdowns on 23 carries. Brian Robinson Jr. added 76 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown. Harris has 347 yards and 10 touchdowns on 52 carries this season, while Robinson has 154 yards on 24 carries.
Wide receivers Jaylen Waddle and Devonta Smith combined for 19 catches, 284 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver John Metchie III added 75 yards on four catches, while tight end Miller Forristall had a touchdown. Waddle (19 catches, 396 yards, three TDs), Smith (27 catches, 316 yards, two TDs) and Metchie (11 catches, 298 yards, two TDs) have been a three-headed monster for Jones to throw to this season.
The defense was uncharacteristically torched for 379 passing yards, 268 rushing yards and 48 points at Ole Miss. They did not force a turnover and had just two sacks in the game. In three games this season, the Crimson Tide have five sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
Georgia Bulldogs at Alabama Crimson Tide College Football Betting Line
Head to our favorite pay per head bookie site at www.PayPerHead247.com where Alabama is favored by six points. The total is 59 points, and Georgia is a +185 underdog on the moneyline.
The game features four of the top six Heisman candidates for two teams that gave us two instant classics in the 2018 calendar year. This is a battle of a top-five offense against a top-five defense.
Don’t forget, Alabama coach Nick Saban has never lost to one of his former assistant coaches, and Georgia’s Kirby Smart won’t break that trend in Tuscaloosa.
Free Pick: Alabama -6 (-110)
