SEC title game odds: Early point spread released for Georgia vs Alabama

The 2023 SEC Championship game is set between Georgia and Alabama — and the opening betting lines are beginning to surface.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Bulldogs are a four-point (-4) favorite over the Crimson Tide.

Alabama locked up a spot in the game with a victory over Kentucky on Saturday — the Crimson Tide’s eighth consecutive victory. Georgia, meanwhile, clinched an appearance with Tennessee’s loss to Missouri prior to kickoff against Ole Miss. Because the Bulldogs beat Mizzou last week, they’d own the tiebreaker.

Alabama and Georgia previously met in Atlanta in 2021 as part of the Bulldogs’ run to the national championship. In fact, that was the last time UGA lost a game as the Crimson Tide pulled off a 41-24 victory in a thriller at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

That was the first of two postseason meetings between the programs, as they later met in the national championship. Kirby Smart got the better of Nick Saban in that one, though, as UGA won its first national title in 40 years.

Of course, both squads have had a complete overhaul since those games. And this matchup was far from guaranteed at the beginning of the season. Georgia lost its two-time national championship-winning quarterback to the NFL, while Alabama’s loss to Texas early this season led many to believe the Crimson Tide was about to begin its decline — but that couldn’t be farther from reality.

Georgia remains undefeated this season entering Saturday’s game against Ole Miss at Sanford Stadium, getting an important ranked win last week over Missouri. The Bulldogs bring a 9-0 record into Saturday’s game, which had College GameDay in attendance with the No. 9-ranked Rebels coming to town ahead of the blowout victory.

For Alabama is playing its best football of the season and even Nick Saban noted his team’s turnaround afterward and the strides the Crimson Tide have made.

“This team’s come a long ways. They’ve worked hard,” Saban said after clinching the title game. “There’s great togetherness, good leadership on the team. A lot of guys have made significant improvement because they’ve stayed positive and stayed the course in terms of listening to what the coaches had to say about what they needed to improve.”

The opening kickoff between the two SEC division winners is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 2 live on CBS. The game will be played inside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.