The 2024 college football season has delivered plenty of intriguing games so far, but we’ve yet to see anything quite like the Week 5 headliner between No. 2 Georgia and No. 4 Alabama.
The rematch of the 2023 SEC Championship Game (as well as the 2017 and 2021 National Championship Games, to reference a few of these teams’ recent meetings) has it all, from Heisman candidates under center to massive College Football Playoff implications.
After oddsmakers listed this one as Georgia as 2-point favorites on the spread for most of the week, the odds moved slightly in Bama’s favor late in the week, with the Tide listed as 1-point dogs as of Saturday morning.
This must-see matchup kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN+.
Georgia vs. Alabama Betting Odds
Below are the odds (as of Saturday morning) for tonight’s game in three markets: the spread, moneyline and total.
| DraftKings | FanDuel | ESPN BET | bet365 | |
| UGA spread | -1 (-110) | -1.5 (-108) | -1 (-110) | -1 (-110) |
| Bama spread | +1 (-110) | +1.5 (-112) | +1 (-110) | +1 (-110) |
| UGA ML | -115 | -115 | -115 | -115 |
| Bama ML | -105 | -105 | -105 | -105 |
| Total | 49.5 (o-108; u-112) | 50.5 (o-118; u-104) | 49.5 (o-110; u-110) | 49.5 (o-110; u-110) |
$250 BONUS BETS
DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOK
$1,000 FIRST BET RESET (MUST USE CODE NEWSWEEK)
ESPN BET
UP TO $1,000 BONUS BETS
FANATICS SPORTSBOOK
$1,500 FIRST-BET OFFER
BETMGM
$200 BONUS OR $1,000 FIRST-BET SAFETY NET
BET365
$1,000 FIRST BET
CAESARS SPORTSBOOK
$200 BONUS BETS
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK
Georgia vs. Alabama Betting Preview
Georgia Bulldogs Betting News, Analysis
The Dawgs have not disappointed after entering yet another season as one of the favorites to win it all. Their Week 1 blowout win over Clemson in Atlanta grows more impressive by the week as the Tigers flex a much-improved offense this season.
And while Georgia’s Week 3 win over Kentucky was far from a masterpiece, the Bulldogs deserve some credit for holding for an SEC road win when they were not at their best, especially offensively.
Georgia had to replace its top skill-position players from 2023 coming into this season, including prolific pass-catchers Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey, and there have certainly been growing pains so far.
Top RB Trevor Etienne, who was suspended for the opener against Clemson, was held in check by the Wildcats on an ugly night for the offense as a whole two weeks ago. Save for the second half of the opener, this offense has rarely looked like the machine it’s been for most of the last few years, and it will be without arguably its top lineman, All-American right guard Tate Ratledge, due to an ankle injury.
The Georgia defense, however, has been dominant, holding Clemson and Kentucky to just 15 points combined. The Wildcats were able to run the ball with some success on UGA (170 yards rushing on 45 carries), but Clemson had no such luck on the ground.
The Bulldogs D features stars at every level, from D-linemen Mykel Williams and Nazir Stackhouse up front to LB Smael Mondon Jr. in the middle to veteran safety Malaki Starks in the secondary. One key for the Georgia D in this game is the status of Williams, who is a game-time decision as he battles an ankle injury, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
So far this year, Georgia has not faced an offense like Alabama’s (though the same could really be said for both of these teams, on both sides of the ball).
Alabama Crimson Tide Betting News, Analysis
Bama hardly looked invincible in Week 2 against South Florida (the Tide led 14-13 entering the fourth quarter), but it bounced back with an impressive blowout road win over Wisconsin back in Week 3.
The Badgers suffered an injury to starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke early in that game and never recovered, but Bama’s performance at Camp Randall Stadium was nevertheless impressive.
QB Jalen Milroe dominated UW as both a passer and a runner, and he looks like a force in his first season under coach Kalen DeBoer. The latter arrived as Nick Saban’s replacement this offseason with an excellent reputation for developing quarterbacks.
Milroe, who shook off some early-season struggles a year ago to lead Bama to an SEC title and a near-upset of Michigan in a CFP semifinal overtime loss, will be the most important player on the field on Saturday night.
His running ability makes Alabama a nightmare to defend, especially in the red zone, where he’s already scored six rushing TDs this season. As long as Milroe and RBs Jam Miller and Justice Haynes can keep Bama’s offense balanced, the Tide should be able to outscore Georgia in this game.
If there’s a weakness for the Bama offense, it’s pass protection: Milroe was sacked 44 times in 2023, and he’s already gone down five times this season. Bama allowed four sacks or more of Milroe eight times a year ago, including a total of 11 in its two losses to Texas and Michigan.
This year, the Tide feature two studs at offensive tackle (Kadyn Proctor and Elijah Pritchett). Both missed time early this season but started against Wisconsin. If they hold up against the Georgia pass rush and give Milroe time to throw, Bama’s chances of pulling off the slight upset will improve dramatically.
The thought here is that since Bama beat Georgia at a neutral site a year ago despite allowing four sacks, it should have a great chance to win on Saturday with better pass protection in its own backyard.
The Crimson Tide defense is a tough unit to evaluate after it opened the season against Western Kentucky and South Florida and faced Wisconsin’s backup signal caller for much of that game. The top players to watch on this defense are LB Deontae Lawson and safety Malachi Moore.
This unit contained both the Michigan and Georgia offenses a year ago, and only truly struggled against Texas in an early-season home loss.
Georgia vs. Alabama Prediction, Best Bets
Betting against UGA when they’re playing anyone other than Alabama has been a horrible idea in recent years. But the Tide have historically been a tough matchup for even Kirby Smart’s best teams. Now, the question is whether that will remain the case in the post-Nick Saban era.
On Saturday night, expect the home crowd to help Bama’s offense control this game. We’ll go with the Tide slowing down the Georgia running game and making Georgia QB Carson Beck beat them over the top with a passing attack that remains somewhat unproven.
Ultimately, I like Bama to prevail in an instant classic decided by a late Milroe touchdown.
At some point, these offenses are going to find answers and put up some points, but I don’t see this total quite getting into the 50s, which makes both the under and the first-half under tempting.
Georgia vs. Alabama Best Bets
- Alabama moneyline (-105 — widely available)
- First half under 23.5 (+102 at DK)
- Under 50.5 (-104 at FD)
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