The Mississippi State Bulldogs are riding high after scoring perhaps the biggest win of Week 3. Mississippi State trounced LSU in its best performance in a long time in the series between those two schools, having its way with the Tigers on both sides of the ball. However, now it’s Dan Mullen’s turn to go on the road in SEC action. The Georgia Bulldogs are looking forward to kicking off their conference slate and will have a packed crowd cheering them on Saturday night.
Watch this regular season Week 4 matchup live on Saturday, September 23, 2017, at 7 p.m. ET at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. This game will be broadcast on ESPN.
College Football Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Mississippi State +6.5
Georgia -6.5
Over/Under 48.5
Odds Analysis
Georgia has played well in Kirby Smart’s second season at the helm. The Bulldogs have one of the best defenses in the country and were able to go on the road and knock off Notre Dame behind the outstanding play of that unit. Under has cashed in all three of Georgia’s games this season and that’s why Vegas has made this total one of the lowest on the board this Saturday.
Mississippi State has been phenomenal so far this year. The Bulldogs have covered all three of their games by a comfortable margin and boast an offense that is clicking on all cylinders at the moment. Surprisingly, the defense has been performing well too under Todd Grantham, having allowed just four scores this year.
Player to Watch
Nick Fitzgerald had the unenviable task of replacing a legend in Starkville, but has done a great job of carving out his own legacy. Fitzgerald has already accounted for 12 touchdowns this season and has made this one of the most efficient offenses in the country.
The junior had some woes once he took over the job full time in 2016, but came on strong at the end of the season with an unforgettable performance against Ole Miss. Fitzgerald ran for 258 yards on the Rebels defense in that one, leading a giddy Mullen to exclaim that the only other school that recruited him was UT Chattanooga after the game.
He will have his hands full against a very talented Georgia defense, but he is a fantastic runner and that should keep him out of trouble.
Key Injury
Jacob Eason has been out for the last two games after getting injured in the season opener against Appalachian State. However, he returned to the practice field, at least for a short amount of time on Monday, fueling speculation that he may be ready to go again.
In his absence, the offense really hasn’t suffered. Freshman Jake Fromm came in and battled Eason for the job all throughout Spring and Summer and has performed well in his absence. Sure, the Bulldogs have mostly relied on Nick Chubb and Sony Michel to carry the load, but Fromm has looked good when called upon.
Both quarterbacks seem to have the same amount of talent, but this could create a quarterback controversy. Fromm has one more year of eligibility than Eason, so it would make more sense to play him if they indeed are even, while others may be rankled by Eason losing his job due to injury.
Free ATS Pick
This has the potential to be the best game of the week. Although Georgia has the more talented roster, there’s no denying that Mullen is one of the best college coaches in the game today and he will have his boys ready to play.
In a tough, hard-hitting game, I expect Georgia to pull away at the end because of its depth. The home Bulldogs have really recruited well in two seasons under Smart and that depth will be huge in the fourth quarter to cement a UGA win.
College Football Odds: Georgia 27, Mississippi State 17
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