Georgia vs. Alabama prediction: Week 5 CFB odds, picks, best bets for SEC showdown

The college football world will have its eyes on Tuscaloosa Saturday night as No.4 Alabama hosts No.

2 Georgia in a pivotal early-season SEC matchup.Georgia is seeking revenge after Alabama’s victory in the SEC Championship last fall, while Kalen DeBoer would love nothing better than to get his first statement win as the Crimson Tide head coach against Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs.

The last time we saw Carson Beck, he struggled to move the ball against Kentucky’s defense two weeks ago before Georgia’s bye.He finished with 160 passing yards on a 15-of-24 completion rate in a game the Bulldogs had just 12 first downs and 262 yards of offense.

It was a performance that pushed the quarterback’s Heisman odds from 14/1 to 18/1.That won’t cut it against an Alabama defense that has allowed the second-lowest passing success rate and ranks 11th in PFF’s coverage grades.Keeping Beck out of obvious passing situations will be crucial, and the Bulldogs will lean on former Florida transfer running back Trevor Etienne on early downs.Etienne, the brother of Jaguars RB Travis Etienne, has averaged 6.0 yards per carry over three years in the SEC and more than four yards after first contact per attempt.Alabama, which allowed 150 yards after contact to South Florida in Week 2, has yet to face a running back of Etienne’s caliber.Jalen Milroe’s improvement through three games has been impressive.

He’s still not utilizing the intermediate part of the field at a high rate, but he has cut his mistakes down significantly; his turnover-worthy play rate is down from 2.8% to 1.4%.Milroe remains one of the country’s best deep ball passers, having completed 7-of-14 passes of at least 20 yards for 302 yards and five touchdowns.The Crimson Tide are loaded at wide receiver, but the player the Bulldogs need to most account for is true freshman Ryan Williams, who has caught 10 of 12 targets for 285 yards and four touchdowns through three games.

His elite deep speed, paired with...