The Crimson Tide on Monday were consensus 2-point underdogs to the Bulldogs at sportsbooks, but the line has been shifting toward Alabama.

The Crimson Tide have been favored in 90 consecutive home games, dating back to 2007 against LSU, and haven’t been underdogs in any regular-season game since 2015 against Georgia. Barring notable line movement, both streaks will end against the Bulldogs.

The earliest point spread on the game from over the summer had Georgia favored by 4.5, as oddsmakers tried to assess any dropoff for Alabama with the departure of coach Nick Saban. But oddsmakers say the Crimson Tide have been the more impressive team this season.

In July, Chris Andrews, a veteran Las Vegas oddsmaker with the South Point, opened Georgia as a 4.5-point favorite over Alabama in his early lines on big college football games. His perception of the two teams has shifted over the first month of the season.

“I know that Georgia’s good, really good. But they haven’t been great; they haven’t been as good as they were last year,” Andrews told ESPN, adding that he plans to offer a line shaded toward Alabama compared to competing sportsbooks this week.

Multiple sportsbooks, including ESPN BET, had Georgia -1.5 on Monday, while the line at FanDuel and BetMGM sat at -2.5.

A superb maiden ODI century by new captain Harry Brook led England to a dominant, rain-shortened DLS victory over Australia on Tuesday to keep the five-match series alive with two to play.

Australia, seeking a 15th successive ODI win, overcame difficult early conditions to post 304, with Steve Smith hitting a patient 60 and Aaron Hardie (44) and Alex Carey (77 not out) cutting loose in the final 10 overs.

After losing both openers early, Brook and Will Jacks built an excellent partnership of 156 to swing the game England’s way.

After Jacks went for 84, Liam Livingstone smashed a quick unbeaten 33 as Brook moved serenely on to 110 but, on 254-4 with 51 needed from 74 balls, the rain began and England was eventually awarded a 46-run victory under a DLS calculation that had produced a revised target of 209 after their 37.4 overs.

It was a day of ebb and flow under changing conditions in the air and on the pitch.

In the absence of the in-form but unfit opener Travis Head and on a damp afternoon and a sticky pitch, Australia took a relatively cautious approach to their innings.

Smith started particularly patiently but was just starting to accelerate when he was brilliantly caught in the deep by a running, diving Brydon Carse off Jofra Archer for 60 to leave his team on 172-5 after 35 overs.

Cameron Green hit 42 and the ever-dangerous Glenn Maxwell fell for a rapid 30 just as he was warming up after Marnus Labuschagne was out for a duck trying to ramp spinner Jacks off his third ball.

The tourists were 200-5 after 40 overs but Carey batted nicely and then put on a rapid 68 with Hardie in 7.1 overs before the latter was run out for 44 off 26 balls. Carey finished unbeaten on 77 – three more than his top-score innings in last week’s second match.

It looked a challenging total for an England team whose batting has been patchy, to say the least, and all the more so when they lost both openers cheaply in the same Mitchell Starc over to slip to 11 for two.

Brook, however, played a true captain’s innings, ably supported by Jacks, steadying the ship but also keeping the rate high with boundaries all over the pitch as Australia badly missed the control of ill absentee spinner Adam Zampa.

Livingstone’s fireworks made sure England were well ahead of the DLS rate and they now head to Lord’s on Friday in a far more positive state of mind after two previous limp defeats.

“Myself and Will just tried to build a partnership and create that platform,” Brook said. I thought the pitch got better towards the end of Australia’s innings. It was then a simple message of go out there and play your own game.”

“We just have to keep doing what we said we are going to do (at Lord’s) and keep being positive, take the game to them and put them under pressure. That should stand us in good stead.”

Australia captain Mitch Marsh said: “After our start, I thought 250 would be awesome so I thought we did extremely well to get the 300 with the conditions early on — it was hard work.

“They got a real partnership going, and in one-day cricket, with a big partnership you can set the game up for yourself, so fair play to them.”

Lahore: The Pakistan cricket selectors on Tuesday announced a 15-player squad on Tuesday for the first Test against England, set to take place in Multan from 7-11 October.

Following the squad announcement and based on the recommendation of head coach Jason Gillespie, the selected players have been withdrawn from the Champions One-Day Cup playoffs to allow them some rest ahead of the series. The squad will assemble in Multan on Monday, 30 September, with the training camp commencing on 1 October.

Squad (for 1st Test): Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who has taken 47 wickets in 15 Tests, has replaced fast bowler Khurram Shahzad, who is injured.

Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Ali, who were part of the squad for the Bangladesh Tests, remain firmly in the selectors’ plans.

However, due to the selection policy’s emphasis on consistency and continuity, and the belief that 15 players are sufficient for a Test, they have been advised and encouraged to continue representing their teams in the Champions One-Day Cup and the President’s Cup, starting on 3 October, to ensure they stay match-ready through competitive cricket.

Pakistan men’s red-ball head coach, Jason Gillespie, said: “With a busy domestic and international cricket schedule, it makes sense to give our players some much-needed rest ahead of the Test series against England.

“We are very much looking forward to the series against England here in Pakistan and cannot wait for it to begin. We are excited about playing in front of our wonderful supporters.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 15-player squad on Tuesday for the first Test against England, set to take place in Multan from October 7-11.

Following the squad announcement and based on the recommendation of head coach Jason Gillespie, the selected players have been withdrawn from the Champions One-Day Cup playoffs to allow them some rest ahead of the series.

The squad will assemble in Multan on Monday, September 30, with the training camp commencing on October 1.

Squad (for 1st Test):

Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who has taken 47 wickets in 15 Tests, has replaced fast bowler Khurram Shahzad, who is injured.

Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Ali, who were part of the squad for the Bangladesh Tests, remain firmly in the selectors’ plans. However, due to the selection policy’s emphasis on consistency and continuity, and the belief that 15 players are sufficient for a Test, they have been advised and encouraged to continue representing their teams in the Champions One-Day Cup and the President’s Cup, starting on 3 October, to ensure they stay match-ready through competitive cricket.

Pakistan men’s red-ball head coach, Jason Gillespie said: “With a busy domestic and international cricket schedule, it makes sense to give our players some much-needed rest ahead of the Test series against England.

“We are very much looking forward to the series against England here in Pakistan and cannot wait for it to begin. We are excited about playing in front of our wonderful supporters.”