Alabama vs Georgia: college football opening lines

There is only one ranked matchup in college football opening lines this week, but it is a Top 10 matchup between No 3 Georgia and No. 2 Alabama.

(Check out updated Alabama Georgia odds all week long in our college football section and see live lines courtesy of BetRivers Sportsbook for placing wagers on spreads, props and more).

The opening odds on this matchup, which could be a preview of the SEC Championship game, has Alabama listed as a 7.5-point favorite. Alabama dropped to 2-2 against the spread on the season last week after failing to cover in their win over Mississippi. In their last 11 games as an underdog Georgia 3-8 straight up and 6-4-1 ATS.

The line has already moved as of Tuesday morning to -6.

The largest opening spread on the board this week is in the Massachusetts at Georgia Southern matchup. Georgia Southern opened as a 27.5-point favorite. When favored by 27 points or more Georgia Southern is 6-0 SU and 2-4 ATS in their last six games. This line is also inching upwards.

Along with Georgia Southern, there are three other teams favored by 20-plus points this week. Leading the way is No. 1 Clemson, a 26-point road favorite versus Georgia Tech. Clemson has won their last 30 games when favored by 26 points or more, but they’re only 16-14 ATS. Clemson is also 5-0 SU and 4-0-1 ATS in their last five versus Georgia Tech.

Troy begins the week as a 26.5-point home favorite against Eastern Kentucky. The other 20-plus point favorite is West Virginia, a 23-point home favorite versus Kansas.  West Virginia has won six straight against Kansas, but they’re only 2-4 ATS in those six wins, all as the favorite.

Along with Clemson, there are 12 road teams listed as favorites this week on the opening odds. Obviously no one is as big a road favorite as Clemson at -26. The largest spread after them is in the Marshall at Louisiana Tech matchup. Marshall opened as a 13.5-point favorite. Marshall is a lousy 1-4 ATS in their last five games as a road favorite.

Other Top 25 teams listed as road favorites this week include No. 5 North Carolina, No. 8 Cincinnati, and No. 11 Texas A&M

North Carolina is an 8.5-point road favorite versus Florida State. In their last 11 games against Florida State, North Carolina is 3-8 SU and 6-5 ATS, but they were the underdog in all 11 games.

Cincinnati is a 3.5-point favorite against Tulsa. Cincinnati has won 23 straight when favored, with a 12-11 record ATS.

Texas A&M is a 4-point road favorite against Mississippi State. Despite their upset win over Florida last week, Texas A&M is a disappointing 6-8 ATS in their last 14 games. That includes a 4-5 ATS mark when favored.