The Georgia Bulldogs begin life without their Heisman hopeful Nick Chubb after the star running back was lost for the year last week with a knee injury. They will have to penetrate the stingy Missouri defense with a committee of backs and a struggling quarterback.
The Dawgs may not have to produce much offensively to get a win since the Tigers have been historically bad this season scoring points, playing below the total in all six games.
ODDS
Georgia hit the board as a 16-point favorite with the total at 44. Missouri has been one of the poorest spread plays this season, going 1-5 ATS and failed to cover in its two road games. The Bulldogs are 0-3 ATS in their last three with two of those coming in Athens. The total spiked to 45.5 while the spread held firm at -16.
KEY MISMATCH
This isn’t where Missouri’s offensive line was supposed to be. The group has two players projected to be NFL draft picks and a starter who excelled during fall camp after converting from the defensive line. It was expected to be one of the Tigers most reliable groups. That hasn’t been the case. The line produced another shoddy game in a 21-3 loss to Florida last weekend. Missed blocking assignments couldn’t let the backs squirt through holes and didn’t give quarterback Drew Lock the time needed to throw the ball. Though the Tigers don’t have as many weapons in the running and passing games as they’ve had in past years, the O-line has still played a big role in the team’s offensive struggles. Missouri’s 18.3 points per game is the lowest of any Power Five team, and none of the 128 FBS teams have rushed for fewer touchdowns than the Tigers’ two. There was one particular issue last week against Florida. The team wasn’t physical enough against the athletic Gators’ front. Whether the Tigers are pass- or run-blocking, there doesn’t seem to be an immediate fix to their problems.
KEY STAT
18.3 – Missouri’s points per game. The Tigers are last in the SEC and 122nd in the country in scoring. Though they’ve surrendered 38 points in each of their last two games, the Bulldogs still allow an average of only 21.7 points per game.
BETTING ANGLE
Georgia is clinging to its slim hopes of winning the SEC East after falling out of the Top 25 with two straight losses and having star tailback Nick Chubb’s season end with a knee injury. Chubb suffered the injury on the first play from scrimmage in last week’s loss at Tennessee. It’s unfair to say that all is lost, but it’s also unfair to say Georgia’s offense will manage without Chubb. Sony Michel got the bulk of the snaps last week after Chubb was injured and did well, running for 145 yards on 22 carries, but how long can he sustain that workload? There are too many unknowns, and the next two games are essentially the season for the Dawgs. Missouri and Florida both rank in the top 16 nationally in total and scoring defense. To beat those teams, the front sevens need to be softened up, and not having Chubb limits that for Georgia. A disappointing season for the SEC East favorites just got a lot tougher.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
No question the loss of workhorse Chubb will affect the Dawgs’ offense. But coach Mark Richt and the team has dealt with a similar situation before. Just last season star tailback Todd Gurley tore his ACL and missed the season’s final three games. Chubb stepped in and the running game held up well. Ironically, the first game Gurley missed last year was Georgia’s 34-0 win over Missouri. Now Michel gets plugged into the starting slot. He’s a power back who can get the tough yards between the tackles and is a bigger factor in the passing game than Chubb. And that will come in handy against Missouri’s defense. Quarterback Grayson Lambert has been ineffective that last two games and setting him up for short passes to Michel out of the backfield will soften up the D. Georgia won’t have to do much offensively. The Dawgs defense is good enough to shut down a woeful Tigers attack that will be without starting quarterback Maty Mauck, who was suspended indefinitely. Georgia rebounds with a win, but 16 points is a lot to cover.
Georgia 31, Missouri 17
The college football lines for this contest were first released by BookMaker and the Bulldogs were positioned as 16-point favorites with a total of 44. Gamble on the game between every commercial break with BookMaker’s live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen on the next play or how many points will be scored in the next quarter. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The Missouri Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs square off on Saturday, October 17, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. ET at Sanford Stadium. The matchup will be televised live on the SEC Network.
