ATHENS - UGA Football has been installed as a slight favorite to beat the Alabama Crimson Tide this Saturday at Between the Hedges at Sanford Stadium in Athens.
Georgia is listed as a 3.5-point favorite to beat the Tide in Athens. The line moved down slightly since the summer, but stayed within the field goal range over time.
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The line means the Bulldogs have “about” an 62% chance of winning the game straight up. BetQL predicts the outcome of the game to be a 28-25 Georgia win. Use the code DAWGPOST to get 15% off.
Kirby Smart has coached in 16 games where the Bulldogs have been slight favorites two win. Twice be has played Alabama as a narrow favorite - splitting those two games. Overall, Kirby is 11-5 straight up in games where Georgia is a 4.5-point favorite or lower.
Only twice, against Tech in 2016 and State in 2017, have the Bulldogs been narrow favorites in Sanford Stadium under Kirby. Georgia split those contests - losing to the Jackets by a point, and blistering State.
Kirby Smart's clashes with Alabama have been memorable and consequential. Kirby's first matchup with the Tide came in the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Alabama won the game in overtime when Tua Tagovailoa threw a 41-yard touchdown to DeVonta Smith to give Nick Saban one of his 6th national title.
A year later Georgia came into the 2018 SEC Championship Game as a 13.5-point underdog to Saban and the Tide. UGA's defense knocked out Tagovailoa, but he was replaced by Jalen Hurts, who rallied to Tide to a win.
In 2020, Alabama used a third-quarter surge to beat UGA 41-24 in Tuscaloosa. A year later the teams met twice - the first time another 41-24 Alabama win. But the two teams met two games later in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Georgia rallied past Alabama thanks to Stetson Bennett, the stifling Georgia defense and Kelee Ringo's pick six.
Two years later the programs met once more - this time being the final game Saban would coach against Georgia. Slight underdogs, the Tide upset Georgia 27-24 in the 2023 SEC Championship Game to earn their way into the College Football Playoff.
Then in 2024, the Bulldogs and Tide squared off for what might be the best game between the two teams ever. Alabama got out to a massive 28-0 lead before Georgia rallied to take the lead after Carson Beck hit Dillon Bell for a 67-yard touchdown with 2:31 remaining in the game. But Jalen Milroe hit Ryan Williams for a 75-yard touchdown to give Alabama the win.
Kirby Smart has never coached against Alabama in Sanford Stadium.
