Alabama vs. Georgia picks and best bets for the SEC Championship

The SEC Championship Game matchup we’ve anticipated all season long is finally here as the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs will face off with the No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Kickoff for this clash will be at 4:00 p.m. ET on CBS.

Georgia (12-0, 8-0 SEC) capped its undefeated regular season last Saturday by reducing Georgia Tech to rubble in a 45-0 shutout. The team barely broke a sweat in Clean, Old Fashioned Hate as it recorded its sixth game this season of holding an opponent to seven points or less and its third outright shutout. Quarterback Stetson Bennett threw four touchdowns in this contest and tight end Brock Browers went off for 100 yards off just three receptions and two of those scores.

Alabama (11-1, 7-1 SEC) in the Iron Bowl against Auburn last Saturday and managed to escape with a 24-22 victory in four overtimes. Heisman Trophy frontrunner Bryce Young and the Tide offense struggled mightily until deep in the fourth quarter, where the second year QB orchestrated a 97-yard drive in less than two minutes to tie the game. In overtime, Young would find John Metchie III twice to allow Bama to escape Jordan-Hare Stadium with a victory and keep its College Football Playoff aspirations alive.

Here’s all the data you’ll want, and a pick for the game!

SP+ Rankings

Alabama: 3rd overall, 3rd offense, 11th defense
Georgia: 1st overall, 2nd offense, 1st defense

Injury update

Alabama

WR Jojo Earle Out - Undisclosed

RB Brian Robinson Jr. Questionable - Leg

LB Keanu Koht Day-to-day - Foot

Georgia

WR Kearis Jackson Probable - Ribs

OL Jamaree Salyer Questionable - Foot

RB Kendall Milton Out indefinitely - Knee

ATS/Total

Against The Spread

Alabama: 6-6 ATS
Georgia: 8-4 ATS

Total

Alabama: Over 6-6
Georgia: Over 5-7

Current lines at DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread: Georgia -6.5
Total: 48.5
Moneyline: Georgia -255, Alabama +205

Opening line: Georgia -4
Opening total: 52.5

Weather

Climate controlled in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Pick

Georgia -255 Moneyline

The talent that these two teams possess is similar on paper but as last week demonstrated, this is one of the more vulnerable Crimson Tide teams that we’ve seen in recent seasons. Meanwhile, UGA has been a war machine all season long and has shown very few flaws in all three phases of the game. Even the mid-season concerns over Stetson Bennett starting in place of JT Daniels were rendered moot as Bennett has stepped up and helped navigate the Dawgs through its SEC schedule.

I’m just going with Georgia on the moneyline and not the spread because this is still Alabama we’re talking about and if anyone is going to give the Bulldogs a game this season, it’s a Nick Saban coached team with a potential Heisman winner at quarterback. Still, lean with the Dawgs to outright win.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat. (CT). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/MI/NH/NJ/PA/ TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.