Georgia traveling to play bitter SEC rival Alabama on Saturday is one of the most highly anticipated regular-season games of the season, so it stands to reason that it has also been the most popular Week 5 play at most sportsbooks.
“Georgia-Alabama will be the most bet game so far this season,” BetMGM trading manager Seamus Magee said. “Bettors are jumping on Bama being a home underdog for the first time since 2007. Georgia winning would make our Saturday.”
ODDS AND TRENDS
Georgia is favored from just a half-point to 2.0 points at most regulated sportsbooks.
DraftKings was giving just a half-point to Alabama by mid-day Saturday, with the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide being the most wagered-on game in terms of total bets and money wagered. The line was 1.5 points at BetRivers, where the Bulldogs covering had drawn 2.2 percent of all money wagered on Week 5 games.
Georgia’s -109 moneyline was even more popular, drawing 2.4 percent of all money wagered.
PROP PICK
Jalen Milroe Anytime TD (-130 at DraftKings): Alabama’s quarterback finding the end zone on Saturday was the second-most popular Anytime TD prop at the book, behind only Michigan’s Kalel Mullings scoring against Minnesota. In addition to his eight passing touchdowns this season, Milroe has rushed for a pair of touchdowns in each of the Tide’s first three games this season.
THE NEWS
No. 2 Georgia is spending extra time preparing after its bye last week to get more familiar with No. 4 Alabama’s new coaching staff and scheme under Kalen DeBoer. DeBoer was hired after a runner-up national title finish at Washington, replacing Georgia coach Kirby Smart’s former boss, Nick Saban.
“Last time we went, it was 4-5 years from the time we had lived there. It’s so weird when you play there because you’re in and out,” Smart said. “You’re there, then you’re gone. It’s just different. There’s a lot of people that are still there in the organization that I’m close with and have a lot of respect for, but that’s the case for a lot of these places in the SEC.”
With Saban, a seven-time national title winner, moving to an advisory role at Alabama and working with ESPN as a college football analyst, Saturday’s game on a national stage will be played on the newly-minted Nick Saban Field.
Alabama (3-0) is one of six undefeated teams in the SEC. The Crimson Tide beat Wisconsin in Madison before also enjoying a bye last week.
“They’re different defensively for sure. Obviously the offensive staff and defensive staff changed,” Smart said. “There’s remnants, because the quarterback’s the same. The history there, at Washington with Kalen (DeBoer) and defensively the history Kane (Wommack) has and what they’ve done this year is different.”
No matter the system Alabama runs on offense, Smart said the challenge of getting ready for Milroe at QB can be overwhelming. Milroe has 590 passing yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions in the pass-first Alabama offense this season.
“With him, the challenges are immense because he’s an incredible football player,” Smart said. “There is no design to a play that you can draw up and then say, ‘Well, I’m pretty sure this is going to happen on this play with him.’ Because you don’t know what’s going to happen. Sometimes the worst thing you can do is cover everybody with him.
“Sometimes the best thing you can do is cover everybody. It just depends — are you capable of getting him on the ground and tackling him at times? What matchups do you have?”
INJURY REPORT
Bulldogs defensive lineman Mykel Williams will be a game-time decision. An ankle sprain has kept Williams, projected as a high first-round NFL draft pick in 2025, out of the past two games after sustaining the injury on Aug. 31 against Clemson.
If he does play, he is expected to be on a limited snap count. Williams had three quarterback pressures and two tackles for loss against Clemson.
THEY SAID IT
“He’s as different a football player in college football as I’ve played against in a long time. People think he’s just a runner and that’s not the case. He can do things with his arm other people can’t. He can reach spots on the field and get it there faster than you can break on it better than most arm-talent people. It’s a tremendous challenge to defend people like him.” –Smart on Milroe.
PREDICTION
This is the first time Alabama has been an underdog at home in 17 years. Not only does that speak a lot to the strength of Smart’s Bulldogs, but it shows that the oddsmaker jury is still out on DeBoer. But Milroe has an edge in experience over Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck, who faces his biggest task on the road. Milroe’s duel-threat capabilities will provide the small edge the Tide need. –Alabama 27, Georgia 23
–Field Level Media