Georgia Opens as the Early Favorite in the National Championship Game

The National Championship game is officially set featuring a rematch of Georgia vs Alabama and the Bulldogs have opened up as the early favorites.

The Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide will face off for the fifth time in five years. The Tide have beaten Kirby Smart and his team in all five matchups during that span including the most recent matchup in the 2021 SEC Championship game. However, that doesn't appear to have any effect on the opening betting line for the game. 

One day after No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Georgia ran away with dominant victories in the College Football Playoff semifinals, the Bulldogs have opened as 2.5-point favorites on SI Sportsbook, with an over/under of 52.5.

It is interesting, to say the least, that a team who lost by 17 points in their most recent matchup would be favored yet again in the rematch just several weeks later. Perhaps Georgia's convincing win against Michigan had something to do with that.

After their all-around horrid performance in the SEC Championship game, Georgia got back to its roots and dominated the Michigan Wolverines on both sides of the ball, and coasted to a 34-11 victory. The Bulldogs defense looked as dominant as ever and the offense was firing on all cylinders with Stetson Bennet leading the way under center. 

This is not the first time Georgia and Alabama will meet in the national championship. During the 2017 season, Kirby Smart and Nick Saban dueled it out for the first time against one another and Alabama defeated the Bulldogs in heartbreaking fashion. 

It has become the most anticipated matchup every season with everyone wondering if Kirby Smart will ever be able to take down his former mentor and will Georgia get over the Alabama hurdle. The numbers sure seem to think they will, so perhaps the fifth time is the charm for Georgia and they will be able to bring home a national title for the first time in over 40 years while simultaneously getting the monkey off their back. 

You Might Also Like:

• Jim Harbaugh Updates Daxton Hill's Status Prior to Matchup with Georgia
• The Redemption Story No One is Talking About
• Georgia Football Players to Watch: Jordan Davis

Join the community

Follow Brooks Austin on Twitter: @BrooksAustinSI

Subscribe to our YouTube Page HERE

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @BulldogMaven & follow us on Twitter at @BulldogsSI.