- The CFP National Championship brings with it plenty of new betting markets that aren't around during the regular season.
- Our resident props and exotics expert, Mike Calabrese, broke down some of his favorite props and exotics for Alabama vs. Georgia.
- Check out Calabrese's betting card for the national title game below.
The college football community hates rematches.
In a sport of 130 teams, it's rare for the publicly-desired nonconference or bowl matchup to come to fruition. That's why a rematch like the one we have Monday night boils peoples' blood, so to speak.
The public feels as though, “We've already seen this” before. And that reaction impacts both TV ratings and how college football power brokers structure the sport. Keep in mind the 2012 rematch between LSU and Alabama served as a valuable data point in the final argument for a playoff to replace the BCS.
Similarly, this SEC rematch could do the same for an expanded playoff in the near future.
But while some fans and gamblers aren't jazzed up for the Dawgs and Tide 2.0, I can't say I share the same feelings.
Sportsbooks across the country have peppered the gambling landscape with one-off promotions, bonuses and boosts for this football game. Props and exotics offer plenty of value to savvy bettors willing to dig a bit for value.
With that in mind, here's my card for Monday night.
This play comes down to my faith in both Jack Podlesny and Will Reichard.
Alabama's senior placekicker is 18-for-23 on the season, and 11-for-12 inside of 40 yards. Podlesny was just as sure-footed inside of 40 (16-for-18), and like Reichard, his range extends into the mid-50s if called upon.
Both defenses are coming off electric defensive performances in the semifinal round, which is why this payout is so lucrative.
But you don't have to dig that deep to find games in which Alabama surrendered points in every quarter.
Alabama allowed both Texas A&M and Florida to get on the board in all four quarters, while the Bulldogs just gave up 41 points to the Crimson Tide (albeit with scores in three out of four quarters).
Georgia should have scored in all four quarters, but an interception from Stetson Bennett and a turnover on downs – both in the Alabama red zone – was the difference in the third quarter.
Alabama would score in the second, third and fourth quarters after a slow start against the Dawgs. My point being, it doesn't take much imagination for that SEC title game to hit the score in all four quarters prop bet.
Brain Robinson Jr. has arguably been the focal point for Alabama's offense the past month. The senior tailback has toted the rock 85 times in the Tide's last four games, resulting in 113 yards per game on the ground.
But this is the Georgia run defense we're talking about. The same unit that enters fourth against the run (82.3 YPG), fourth in yards per carry allowed (2.66 YPC) and first in terms of preventing runs of 20 and 30 yards or more in 2021.