Georgia vs Alabama Odds, Picks and Predictions: Dawgs Come To Fight Against the Nation's Best

The Georgia Bulldogs have been on their last legs in terms of making a tournament bid, and they have put together two straight wins in the last week in response. They will look to roll that momentum into the biggest game of their season on Saturday night when they travel to face the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Tide have shown vulnerability this week, dropping their first conference game of the season to Tennessee on Wednesday. Can Georgia take advantage of a Bama team that has already taken a punch to the mouth this week, or will the Tide bounce back strong from their early-week slip-up?

Find out in our free college basketball picks and predictions for Georgia vs. Alabama on February 18th.

Georgia vs Alabama best odds

Georgia vs Alabama picks and predictions

The regular season in college basketball may seem long and somewhat inconsequential to the casual viewer, but the depths of January and February bring some of the biggest and longest-lasting pressure situations in all of sports. As a result, programs facing surefire elimination from tournament consideration often find themselves playing each game with their life on the line.

The Georgia Bulldogs have found themselves in that exact situation since February 7, after a loss to Ole Miss dropped them to 14-10 and 4-7 in the SEC. Winning out is the Bulldogs' only way of having any chance to be in consideration for a tournament spot come March, and they have done that thus far.

A week ago, they secured a 75-68 win over Kentucky, putting their collective heads down and getting to the basket to secure baskets down low and earn trips to the charity stripe. On Tuesday, the Bulldogs found themselves down 63-62 to LSU with eleven seconds left but managed to escape with a nail-biting 65-63 win.

On Saturday night, Georgia will take on an Alabama Crimson Tide team that was undefeated in SEC games until Wednesday night when they suffered a loss at the hands of No. 10 Tennessee. Poor shooting from inside the arc (33.3%) and a horrendous -11 turnover differential all but sealed Alabama's fate.

It's those kinds of mistakes that make the Crimson Tide vulnerable to the desperate Bulldogs. Georgia has gone to the free throw line 22.1 times per game this season, which is the 25th-highest mark in all of college basketball. The Dawgs also turn over the ball just 11.4 times per game, which should help keep the game competitive.

Alabama loves to launch it from deep, with its 29.3 3-point attempts ranking fourth in the nation. However, the Tide's efficiency from the perimeter is nothing to write home about, as their 35.2% clip ranks 139th in the nation. That number may suffer even further on Saturday, given that Georgia has allowed just a 30.0% clip on the season — the 23rd-best mark in the country.

While Alabama has tangibly been the far better team on the season, the Tide's recent form suggests that Georgia can keep the game within reach of a 19-point spread. 

My best bet: Bulldogs +19 (-110 at WynnBet)

Georgia vs Alabama spread analysis

The spread opened with Alabama as 19-point favorites, and books currently have the Tide anywhere between -18.5 to -19.

Georgia is 11-15 against the spread this season, good for just a 42.3% cover rate. As underdogs, they have gone an even 7-7 ATS, despite starting out the season at 6-2. 

The Tide have gone 15-10-1 ATS this year. As home favorites, they are an even better 8-4 and have covered by an average of 12 points. Despite possessing an impressive record ATS, they have had relative struggles in situations like tonight. 

Alabama has been favored by double-digits 11 times this year and have gone just 5-6 ATS in those games. 

Georgia vs Alabama Over/Under analysis

The Bulldogs have gone 14-12 to the Over on the year, and as road underdogs, that mark improves to 5-3. They're also 8-5 to the Over in SEC play and have cashed the Over in six of their last nine games.

Meanwhile, the Tide are 14-11-1 to the Under this year and are 7-5 to the Under in home matches. In conference play, Alabama has a record favouring the Under at 9-3-1. Only six teams in the country have played to the Under in conference games at a higher rate.

Georgia vs Alabama betting trend to know

The Crimson Tide have gone 5-6 ATS as double-digit favorites. Find more college basketball betting trends for Georgia vs. Alabama.

Georgia vs Alabama game info

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