They were the top two teams in the South Eastern Conference last season and oddsmakers believe Alabama and Georgia will have similar success in college football in 2018. BetDSI has set the over/under line for both teams at 10.5 victories.
Alabama is -130 to hit the over, while a +100 to go under. The Bulldogs are -115 for both the over and under. The internet sportsbook has set lines for the entire SEC, and has Auburn at nine and Mississippi State at eight.
The one line that seems a little low is Mississippi. Ole Miss is set at six and the team should be able to win half its games. Yes, they do have contests against Alabama, Auburn and LSU, but they also play Southern Illinois, Kent State and Louisiana-Monroe. South Carolina and Vanderbilt should be victories, leaving Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Arkansas and rival Mississippi State. If the team goes .500 on those four games they hit the over.
Projecting Alabama’s Season
The defending National Champions are expected to defend their title and sportsbook.ag has them as the 2/1 favorite to repeat. Clemson is next at 6/1, followed by Ohio State at 7/1 and Georgia at 9/1.
Alabama’s 12-game season doesn’t offer too many challenges. They have non-conference games against Citadel and Arkansas State. They miss playing Georgia, but will face rival Auburn and Mississippi State, though both of those games are at home. The only possible game that could present a possible upset would be Nov. 3 when they travel to play LSU.
The Crimson Tide also has a quarterback controversy for the first time under the Nick Saban regime. The coach has junior Jalen Hurts and sophomore Tua Tagovailoa.
Who the coach will use has not been decided, but Saban did say tell ESPN that utilizing both is definitely an option.
“The most important thing is to play the best guy, and if both guys can play winning football, it’s not out of the question that we’ll find a role for both guys in fairness to both guys,” Saban said. “I don’t know that there’s any more to it than that.”
Georgia Ready To Roll
The Bulldogs are coming off one of the best recruiting sessions in the country, with many scouting sites giving them the nod for the best class.
Georgia went 13-2 last season, including losing to Alabama in the National Championship game. Reaching 11 victories doesn’t seem out of the question. They have non-conference games against Austin Peay and Middle Tennessee State. Like Alabama, the team has to travel to LSU and that is a potential upset, but the rest of the schedule looks winnable.
The team returns several starters from last year, including quarterback Jack Fromm. They did lose running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel and that is the one position they will need to get help at. Juniors Elijah Holyfield and Brian Herrien are expected to split time at the tailback spot.
