Georgia Win-Total Pick
Can the Georgia Bulldogs finally piece together the puzzle to make a run at the College Football Playoff Championship in 2017?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Georgia is listed with 24/1 odds to win the College Football Playoffs. The Bulldogs are getting 6/1 odds to win the SEC, while their over/under total for wins is listed at 8.5. The over is set at -135, while the under is listed at +105.
NCAA FB QUICK LINKS: Scores & Matchups | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Betting Trends | ATS Stats | Standings
Kirby Smart is stepping into his second season as head coach of the Bulldogs. He led Georgia to an 8-5 record in 2016, including a 4-4 record in SEC play. Despite the lackluster record, Georgia did win four of its last five games, including a 31-23 win over TCU in the Liberty Bowl.
Typically a strong offense, Georgia struggled in 2016 with the ball, averaging 28.2 points and 387 yards per game. The offense this season returns key players, including running back Nick Chubb. Chubb rushed for 1,130 yards and eight touchdowns last season and will be one of the top backs in all of college football. He also has Sony Michel behind him, a back that had 840 yards in 2016. Under center will be Jacob Eason, who threw for 2,430 yards and 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions as a freshman. The Bulldogs had a pretty good defense last season, allowing just 328 yards per game and 24.1 points per contest. The unit returns its leading tackler in Roquan Smith, who had 95 total tackles and 5 tackles for loss in 2016. Also back is lineman Trenton Thompson, who had 9.5 tackles for loss and 5 sacks. Linebacker Davin Bellamy is also back. He tied for a team-high 5 sacks last season, as did returning linebacker Lorenzo Carter. In the secondary, Georgia has four defensive backs returning that had multiple interceptions in 2016, including safety Dominick Sanders, who had a team-high three picks.
The 2017 schedule for Georgia features a Week 2 trip to Notre Dame. The Bulldogs will also travel to Georgia Tech to end the regular season while hosting Samford and Appalachian State. SEC road trips include Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Auburn. The Bulldogs will host Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina and Kentucky while having the annual meeting with Florida in Jacksonville. The schedule is actually pretty favorable for Georgia. I think the defense should continue to be great with so many returning players and the offense should take a step forward with Eason getting a full season under his belt. I think Georgia can get past Notre Dame and that should spark a 4-0 start. Tricky games are at Tennessee, at Auburn, at Georgia Tech and vs. Florida. The Bulldogs need to just win one to get to 9. I think they can do it. Georgia looks to be a nice under-the-radar team for the national picture.
2017 WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: GEORGIA OVER 8.5 (-135)