Georgia vs Alabama | Expert Analysis & NCAAF Odds

The 2021-22 college football season concludes Monday night from Indianapolis with a national championship matchup that pretty much everyone expected: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 1 Alabama, with the Dawgs as short favorites on the NCAAF odds.

How to Bet Georgia vs. Alabama NCAA Football Odds & TV Info

When: Monday, 8 PM ET
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN app
Radio: Tunein.com
Opening NCAAF Lines: Georgia -3 (total 52)

Last Meeting

These teams met in the SEC title game when Georgia was unbeaten and a 6-point favorite but Alabama won easily 41-24. QB Bryce Young completed 26-of-44 passes for 421 yards, three touchdowns and ran three times for 40 yards and a touchdown. That basically won him the Heisman Trophy – although he would have won it regardless. Georgia’s Stetson Bennett threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns, but he also had two crucial picks.

Why Bet on Georgia?

The Dawgs (13-1) crushed Michigan 34-11 in the Orange Bowl semifinal. The offense scored on its first five possessions and the defense forced three turnovers. Georgia outgained Michigan 515-325, quarterback Stetson Bennett IV was sharp from the outset, finishing 21 of 31 for 307 yards and three touchdowns, and the defense was dominant throughout. Running back James Cook posted 141 yards from scrimmage and scored a touchdown.

Georgia entered as the national leader in scoring defense at 9.5 ppg while UM was averaging 37.7 ppg. UM tallied 325 yards on 63 plays. UGA leads the nation in red zone defense, and UM was just 1-for-3 including a fourth down stop at the UGA 6 in the fourth quarter. Opponents have made 28 trips this year and 12 times have come away with no points. UM got its lone TD with 4:25 left in the contest, trailing 34-3.

All but one of Georgia’s 13 wins have come by 17 points or more. Its historically elite defense has allowed only 135 points all season, as well as small totals for rushing touchdowns (3), yards per carry (2.7), first downs (75), first-quarter points allowed (22) and third-quarter points allowed (21).

Offensively, the Bulldogs are averaging 39.0 points/game and outscoring their opponents 546-135. The Bulldog defense and special teams have combined to score five TDs this year, two safeties and blocked five more potential points (one FG, two PATs).

Georgia’s senior class improved to 44-8, and that ties for the most wins by a senior class, joining the 2005, 2018 and 2020 teams. Also, Georgia became only the third team in school history to win a record 13 games in a year, joining the 2002 and 2017 squads.

Why Bet on Alabama?

The Tide had no trouble in beating Cincinnati 27-6 in the Cotton Bowl semifinal. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. was named the game’s offensive MVP, while linebacker Will Anderson Jr. brought home defensive MVP honors. Robinson Jr. recorded a career-high and Alabama bowl record 204 rushing yards on 26 carries, while Anderson Jr. led a Tide defense that held the Bearcats to just 218 yards of total offense.

Alabama logged 172 yards rushing in the first half, the most first-half rushing yards by the Crimson Tide this season. The 172 yards rushing is also more than the Crimson Tide has recorded in a complete game in eight of 13 games this season.

Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Bryce Young tallied 181 yards on 17-of-28 passing with three touchdowns through the air, giving him the Alabama single-season passing yards record with 4,503 through 14 games.

The Tide defense during the regular season struggled against teams such as Florida, Texas A&M and Arkansas, and, at times, Tennessee. Alabama ranks 54th nationally in pass efficiency defense. But the unit made opportunistic plays against Georgia in the SEC title game and delivered arguably its most complete effort against Cincinnati, surrendering only 218 yards and only four drives of longer than six yards. The Tide’s strength on defense is up front with Will Anderson, who enters the title game with 17.5 sacks and 34.5 tackles for loss.

Alabama leads the all-time series with Georgia 42-25-4. Georgia won the first meeting, coming in 1895, with a 30-6 triumph in Columbus. The Crimson Tide have won the past seven meetings, including this year’s SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. The last time Georgia faced a top-ranked Alabama squad was the 2018 SEC Championship Game when the No. 4 Bulldogs fell 35-28 in Atlanta