Dramatic shift before Georgia vs. Alabama game adds fuel to college football’s biggest clash thus far in 2024

The Georgia Bulldogs opened Week 5's clash against the Alabama Crimson Tide as 4-point favorites.

But in 24 hours, that line has now dramatically shifted and is in favor of the Crimson Tide across some sportsbooks.

BetMGM and Bally Bet have the Tide winning by one point, leaving Georgia the road underdog. FanDuel, however, still has the Dawgs winning by 1.5 points.

The over/under is now up to 49 or 50 points depending on where you look.

This season marks the first time in 17 years that Alabama isn't a favorite on their home turf across the board.

While all odds might not exactly match up, they at the very least agree it's going to be a nail-biter.

No Nick Saban, No Problem?

Saturday will mark the first matchup between Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and new Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, who replaced Nick Saban in January. Both teams are undefeated at 3-0 with Georgia ranked No. 2 and Bama ranked No. 4 heading into the game.

While Saban won't be on the other sideline, the Crimson Tide will still consist of the top talent he recruited before retiring.

Playing in a game like this one, and winning, will be pivotal for the future of Bulldogs' football program.

"He [Saban] recruited a lot of them, and they’re good players. I think anytime you go against a really good team that’s a powerhouse in college football, that it’s a challenge," Smart said when asked about playing a Bama team without Saban. "And I really look at it like this is a hell of an opportunity for our kids, our program, national stage, and we’re on the national stage a lot. We’ve been on the national stage a lot, especially the last three to four years. So it’s the reason kids wanna come to Georgia. They say, 'I wanna play in games like that.' Most viewed game two weeks ago Saturday night was our game. It’s gonna probably be that way this Saturday night.

"When you start looking at it, kids wanna have an opportunity to play in those type games. And we’re gonna have more of them after this. So it’s a great opportunity to play on the national stage. And that’s what we built our program on is playing tough opponents.”

Georgia at Alabama will kick off at 7:30 ET from Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa on Saturday. You can catch the highly anticipated game on ABC or ESPN+.

Related: Mac's CFB Week 5 Pick: Georgia Bulldogs roll through Alabama Crimson Tide