No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 Alabama: Best Bets For SEC Championship

Georgia vs. Alabama: Best Bets For SEC Championship

Conference Championship weekend is here in college football, so the end of the season is getting closer and closer. It's the money-making season here at BetQL, and we are going to continue to crush it. This week features several marquee matchups, and one of those is No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 Alabama.

The Georgia Bulldogs are -5.5 favorites over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC championship game, which will be broadcast on CBS at 4 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

BetQL has you covered for everything college football, so let's dive right into this contest.

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#1 Georgia at #8 Alabama: Live Odds

Georgia Bulldogs Outlook

No big deal here, just another undefeated season from Georgia, as we have gotten used to. They have won a ridiculous 29 straight regular-season games, making it seemingly impossible to beat them. They literally haven't lost in years, and that is due to the insane amount of talent they are able to recruit every season. Each year, they have the best prospects join their team with some of the best recruiting classes in the nation, so it is no shock that they continue to destroy the competition. Last week, they actually had a challenge on their hands with in-state rival Georgia Tech, but came away with the 31-23 victory in the end to close out another 12-0 season.

Georgia's offense is one of the best units in the country and owns several future NFL starters to torture opposing defenses with, including TE Brock Bowers. They rank fourth in yards per play, meaning they get a ton of explosive plays down the field and are constantly making big plays. While that is certainly an impressive stat, perhaps what has been most impressive is their ability to convert on third down. The Bulldogs are the best offense in the country on that key down, converting on 56.6% of attempts. That is the sign of a good and efficient offense, which is exactly what they have been.

The Bulldog defense remains dominant. I'll admit that they haven't been as good as some previous years, but they also lose a lot of talent year after year to the NFL, so they have a lot of young players. Still, they rank 16th in yards per play allowed, which is certainly impressive. What's funny is that the defense is also at its best where the offense is, which is on third down. Georgia is the second-best defense on that down, allowing opponents to convert on just 25.7% of third downs.

Alabama Crimson Tide Outlook

It is rare that you would see a Crimson Tide team not favored and not in the college football playoff, but if they don't win this game as underdogs, they are not going to be making a CFP appearance this year. They are 11-1 on the season, and a second loss would certainly doom any hope they have of getting a chance at a national championship. Their one loss came to the Texas Longhorns in Week 2, and last week they really struggled against their in-state rival Auburn, winning 27-24 on a last-second miracle touchdown. Still, they have positioned themselves once again with a chance to compete for a title.

On offense, we have certainly seen better years in the Nick Saban era. They rank 34th in yards per play, which is not bad by any means, but also not as good as we are used to seeing from an Alabama offense. QB Jalen Milroe has had a really up-and-down season and definitely has not been a Bryce Young or Tua Tagovailoa. However, they do have a few indicators that things will get better. They rank 10th in red-zone efficiency, meaning they are really good at converting scoring opportunities. Obviously, it's extremely important that you get points when you have the chance, and the Tide has been able to be successful in doing that.

The Alabama defense is once again one of the best units in the nation. They rank 18th in yards per play allowed, just a few spots behind Georgia in this category. They don't allow many explosive plays and have generally kept opposing offenses in check. Perhaps their biggest strength is their ability to get to the QB, ranking 12th in the country in sacks per game. They also rank 12th in first downs allowed per game, so they have been able to pressure the QB and limit drives.

Georgia vs. Alabama Best Bet

My Pick: Lean Alabama +6.5 (-115, FanDuel)

I think the Crimson Tide can keep this game pretty close, and I see these teams as fairly even. I don't really trust either QB in this matchup either. I haven't bet on the game yet, but I will update this article if I do decide to bet on it. For now, I'd lean Alabama covering +6.5, which you can still get at FanDuel without too much juice.