What do we know about Alabama this season?

If you asked that question to 100 people, you’d get 100 different answers.

There are a lot of folks out there who are skeptical that Kalen DeBoer can get the job done in Tuscaloosa, while there are plenty of people who believe that the Crimson Tide are talented enough to contend for the national championship, even after their crushing Week 1 loss to Florida State as 14-point favorites.

The betting market has landed somewhere in the middle of that, as Alabama was sitting around 10/1 to win the title back in August, and now sits at 13/1 ahead of a season-defining showdown at Georgia on Saturday night.

The Bulldogs are three-point favorites, which suggests the line would be a pick’em if these two teams met on a neutral field.

Alabama’s loss against Florida State was bizarre.

Not only did the Crimson Tide get blown out in a game in which they closed as heavy favorites, but they looked disinterested, which is hard to get your head around given the pressure on the team in Year 2 under DeBoer.

The Tide turned things around with comprehensive wins over UL-Monroe and Wisconsin, but nobody is going to get excited until DeBoer has this team showing some level of consistency.

A win against Georgia would be a terrific step in the right direction.

And there is reason to believe that Alabama can pull it off.

The team will be buoyed by the return of running back Jam Miller, who joins a unit that already looks prolific thanks to the start to the season from quarterback Ty Simpson.

Georgia’s offense looked splendid in a comeback win over Tennessee last weekend, but the defense looked vulnerable and shipped 41 points to the Volunteers.

Alabama’s offense could put up a similar output on the Bulldogs if they’re even slightly off, and I trust that the improving Tide defense can slow down Georgia enough to give ‘Bama the platform for an upset.

And if you believe that, you may as well sprinkle Alabama to win the national championship, as a win over Georgia would force the bookies to cut that number considerably.

The Play: Alabama +130 | Alabama to win the national championship 13/1 (DraftKings)

Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.