Alabama, Georgia Meet For National Championship In All-SEC Final

If there was any doubt about which conference was the preeminent football power in college, it has been put to rest with the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs set to clash for the national championship. This will be just the second time since the Bowl Championship Series was created in 1998 that two teams from the same conference face off for the national title – the first came between Alabama and LSU in 2011.

Shark Bites
  • Georgia is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games as an underdog.
  • Alabama is 24-1 SU in its last 25 games against the SEC.
  • Alabama has surrendered at least 150 yards rushing in 3 of its last 5 games.

Despite playing in the same conference, Alabama and Georgia rarely meet with the programs in separate divisions. The Tide and Bulldogs have met just three times since the beginning of the 2008 season – though all were Alabama wins, if you want to read into that.

The Crimson Tide put any doubts that they belong in the national championship game to bed with their dominant performance against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl. Nick Saban and company held the Tigers to just six points and 188 offensive yards. That outing marked the seventh time this season that Alabama’s vaunted defense has held the opposition to single-digit points.

Offensively, Alabama continued to lean on efficient Jalen Hurts. The quarterback was not asked to do too much but threw two touchdowns with no interceptions vs Clemson. Hurts has now gone six games since his lone interception on the season.

Georgia’s semifinal contest was a shootout with Oklahoma that saw the Bulldogs pull out the victory in double overtime. Though Georgia’s stellar defense stepped up when it needed to in the second half, the two teams combined for 102 points and 1,058 yards in the Rose Bowl. After looking weak in the middle through the first half of that game and being picked apart by Baker Mayfield, Roquan Smith and the linebacker unit settled in after the half and made a huge impact in the game.

Georgia’s running back tandem of Sony Michel and Nick Chubb tore up the Oklahoma defense for 326 yards and five touchdowns on the ground – plus Michel added another through the air. However, the performance of freshman Jake Fromm can’t be understated as he threw two touchdowns and no interceptions for the third consecutive game.

Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick

Betting fans looking to side with the Georgia Bulldogs in this one found them as 4-point underdogs at Sportsbook. The OVER/UNDER number was slated to open a short time later.

Handicapping prediction models run by the computers at OddsShark picked a 39-31 result in favor of the Crimson Tide. Check the picks page or matchup report during the week as factors may cause that prediction to be re-run. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline here.

Alabama Crimson Tide vs Georgia Bulldogs Matchup

Team Betting Records & Power Rankings

The Georgia Bulldogs sit at 13-1 (10-4 ATS) on the season; in comparison, the Alabama Crimson Tide are currently 12-1 (6-7 ATS). Looking to bet on the totals? Georgia is 6-8 OU, and Alabama is 5-8 OU. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Georgia vs Alabama injuries news.

The game pits the Bulldogs, currently No. 5 in our OddsShark NCAA Football Power Rankings, against the Crimson Tide, who rate No. 2 in the latest survey.

Statistical Matchup

The game also pits Georgia's No. 17-ranked offense, averaging 36.29 PPG, against a Alabama defense that ranks No. 1 this week at 11.08 PPG. The Georgia aerial game is averaging 172.93 yards per game, more than the Alabama secondary allows through the air, 160.62 YPG per game.

Defensively, the Crimson Tide feature the league's No. 7-rated road run defense, allowing 103 yards per game. Georgia, meanwhile, ranks No. 9 in rushing offense at home.

Recent Outings Betting Recap

In their last game, the Crimson Tide were national semifinal Sportsbooks, coming out on top of the Clemson Tigers by a score of 24-6.

In their last game, Georgia got a 181-yard performance from Sony Michel as a key part of its 54-48 semifinal win over Oklahoma.

Betting Trends
  • Alabama is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games
  • Alabama is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Georgia
  • The total has gone OVER in 5 of Alabama's last 6 games when playing Georgia
  • Georgia is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
  • Georgia is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 6 of Georgia's last 9 games
  • Georgia is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Alabama
Georgia is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games as an underdog.home Alabama is 24-1 SU in its last 25 games against the SEC.away Alabama has surrendered at least 150 yards rushing in 3 of its last 5 games.away
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