The most anticipated nonconference game of the college football season takes place on Saturday between the hedges when the Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the Georgia Bulldogs from Sanford Stadium in Athens. Current college football odds have Georgia as a 14-point favorite. The Dogs thought they were worthy of a CFP berth last season, only to see the Irish get in as the No. 4 team. There isn’t much on-field history between the teams with only two prior meetings, but there certainly are some bad feelings after what transpired last year. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET with the game airing live on CBS.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Notre Dame Fighting Irish +14
Georgia Bulldogs -14
Over/Under 57
Notre Dame at Georgia Odds Analysis
It looks like the Notre Dame haters are out in force. Georgia opened -11.5 and was backed by over 60 percent of the early money, forcing the line to jump. And it kept going up as the money poured in on the home team. The current line has Georgia -14. This is a huge game for the Irish, who need perfection to reach the CFP again. With no conference affiliation and just a few tough matchups, their playoff chances are gone with a loss. There has been little movement on the total with the number wagered down a point after hitting the board at 58.
Notre Dame Odds
Like I said, Notre Dame can’t lose a game if it wants a return trip to the CFP. And the Irish are going against a team that would like nothing better than to eliminate them from consideration. They are getting the most points in a game since playing as a 17.5-point dog to USC in November 2016. Notre Dame dropped that game SU and ATS, but the Irish have been a good bet when getting points sporting an 8-4 ATS record in their last 12 games as a dog. Notre Dame got greased up for this encounter by shellacking New Mexico 66-14 covering the 34.5-point closing line.
Georgia Odds
The Dogs had no trouble with Vanderbilt, Murray State and Arkansas State, winning those games by a combined score of 148-23. They gave a lot of points in those games and are 2-1 ATS. Over their last seven games when playing as a double-digit favorite the Dogs are 7-0 SU and 5-2 ATS while holding five of those opponents to less than 20 points. The competition level increases for Georgia as well with a determined squad lined up against them.
Key Trends
It’s hard to gauge just how good Georgia is after a trio of dominating wins against lesser foes. The numbers stand out, especially the combined score, and Jake Fromm has done everything needed to lead a playoff club. However, the Dogs’ starters have yet to play a complete game and that is weighing on Kirby Smart. “The physical conditioning of playing a four-quarter game, there’s only one way to simulate that – play it. And we haven’t. We’ve got to be in shape and ready for four-quarter game the rest of the season,” the coach said.
Key Matchup
It always comes down to the most important position on the field and this game is no exception. With future NFLers Ian Book and Fromm at the helm, the teams have put up staggering numbers. Book threw five touchdowns against New Mexico and completed 15 of 24 for 360 yards. He also led the team with 46 yards on the ground and another score before retreating to the bench for the fourth quarter. Notre Dame is averaging 507 yards and 50.5 points per game in 2019. Fromm and Georgia’s offense has been just as lethal. The Dogs are averaging 566 yards a game while scoring 49.3 points per contest. The knock on Book, though, is his performance against elite defenses. In last season’s CFP semifinal against Clemson, he was shut down. And he faces another elite group on Saturday. Book completed just 50 percent of his throws for 160 yards and a pick in Notre Dame’s 30-3 loss to the Tigers. The Irish will need those two touchdowns they are getting on the college football betting line.
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