Fans of Georgia sports teams are in for a treat this week as there are several pivotal games set to be played throughout the week, & all of them are rivalry games to boot. The Atlanta Braves, Georgia Bulldogs, and Atlanta Falcons will all have their seasons defined (to varying degrees) by their performance in these key matchups this week.
The Braves season will come down to a three-game series at home against the Mets, as this is a win-or-go-home scenario for the team that has battled injuries all season. Next, the Georgia Bulldogs will battle the Alabama Crimson Tide in a road matchup. Could the ‘Dawgs make a big statement in this game now that Nick Saban is retired? Finally, the Falcons have homefield advantage against the rival New Orleans Saints. It’s only Week 4 in the NFL, but anytime the Falcons and Saints play it’s a big game.
Braves vs. Mets (Tuesday-Thursday at 7:20 PM on Bally Sports)
The Braves are in the unenviable position of being behind the Mets (2 games) & the Diamondbacks (1.5) for the last National League Wild Card spot with a week to play. In all likelihood, the team needs to win this series & receive help from other teams in order to make the postseason, but they do hold the tiebreaker over the DBacks. They would also hold the tiebreaker over the Mets with a series win or sweep here.
Spencer Schwellenbach, Chris Sale, and Max Fried are the Braves starters for this series, while the Mets counter with Luis Severino, David Pederson, & Sean Manaea. Matt Olson has been hot as of late for the Braves, while Luisangel Acuña (Ronald’s brother) has been on a tear for the Mets since being called up to The Show on 9/15. Regardless of the final outcome, neither team will be lacking in motivation for this series as there are a variety of postseason scenarios that are in play for both teams.
Georgia at Alabama (Saturday night at 7:30 PM on ABC)
Georgia and Alabama have dominated the college football landscape in recent years, culminating in each team winning multiple National & SEC Championship trophies. Carson Beck and Jalen Milroe have ensured that neither team has taken a step back. Both teams are 3-0 heading into this pivotal showdown between SEC heavyweights.
It’s only Week 5 in college football, but this matchup could decide who wins the SEC. These two teams actually last played each other in the SEC Championship Game in December, with Alabama winning it 27-24 over Georgia in Mercedez-Benz Stadium. Now that Nick Saban is retired, the Bulldogs are favored by two points in this game. One way or another, games between these top teams always come down to the wire.
Falcons vs. Saints (Sunday afternoon at 1:00 PM on FOX)
For the first time in what feels like an eternity, the Falcons have emerged as a team that the national media (and Falcons fans) actually want to pay attention to in 2024. Despite their loss to the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football, this team has proven in consecutive primetime games that they can hang with the contenders of the league. Kirk Cousins has looked shaky at times while coming off an Achilles injury, but his receiving core (Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Darnell Mooney, Bijan Robinson) is good.
Meanwhile, the Saints came crashing down to Earth last weekend against the Eagles after putting up historic offensive numbers on the Panthers and Cowboys defenses. With both teams coming off of a tough loss, it’s important for the Falcons to win and build positive momentum to remain competitive in this tough NFC South division. Will they be able to take care of business at home against their hated division rival?
The Sports Beacon 