The final College Football Playoff Quarterfinal matchup will kick off at 8:45 p.m. ET from the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA. With the Fighting Irish laying a single point and the total sitting at 45, what’s the smart bet in tonight’s Notre Dame vs. Georgia matchup?
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-1) vs. Georgia Bulldogs (+1); o/u 45
8:45 p.m. ET, Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
TV: ESPN
Notre Dame vs. Georgia CFP Public Betting: Bettors Favoring Dawgs
As of this writing, our CFB Public Betting page shows that 59% of bets are on Georgia. That said, this page is updated frequently so make sure that you click on the link provided so that you’re getting the most updated information.
Leonard excellent in win over Indiana
Riley Leonard completed 23 of 32 passes for 201 yards, one touchdown and one interception during Friday’s 27-17 win against Indiana. He also had 11 rushes for 30 yards with one touchdown. Leonard completed the most passes in a game this season, but they were of the short variety with an average of 6.3 yards per completion. The Duke transfer will probably need to throw more against Georgia on New Year’s Day in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal. While the Bulldogs defense is not as dominant as in recent years, Georgia defense is still in the top 35 in the nation against the run and top 50 against the pass.
UGA QB Beck declares for NFL Draft
Carson Beck (elbow) declared for the 2025 NFL Draft on Saturday, Pete Thamel of ESPN.com reports. Beck was viewed as a potential first-round pick at various points during the 2024 season, but a UCL injury during the SEC Championship Game that required surgery certainly complicates things for him. He has already been ruled out for the remainder of the 2024 postseason, and he’ll set his sights on the next step in his career at the pro level. Beck turned in 3,485 passing yards and a 28:12 TD:INT ratio this season, adding 55 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown on the ground. His likely unavailability for a lot of the draft process could hurt his stock a bit, but Beck will presumably still hear his name in the first few rounds of the upcoming draft.
Notre Dame vs. Georgia CFP Betting Trends
Notre Dame is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Georgia is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Notre Dame is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Georgia’s last 6 games
Notre Dame vs. Georgia CFP Prediction
Take Georgia. Notre Dame was impressive against Indiana. That said, the Fighting Irish won’t benefit from dominating the trenches tonight like they did when they played the Hoosiers. Indiana doesn’t have Georgia’s talent up front. Texas A&M is the closest thing Notre Dame faced to Georgia’s talent along both lines and while the Irish won, the game was tight throughout.
Plus, let’s revisit that win over Indiana, shall we? While Notre Dame was dominant defensively, what did the Irish do on offense outside of Jeremiyah Love’s 98-yard touchdown run? Quite frankly, I didn’t think Notre Dame’s offense was very impressive.
I’m certainly not overlooking the fact that Gunner Stockton will be making the biggest start of his life against a nasty Notre Dame defense. This won’t be easy and I think the game will be tight and tense throughout. However, teams like Georgia know how to turn it up a notch. And when it comes to the coaching, I’ll back Kirby Smart in a big game. He doesn’t win them all, but I know we’ll get UGA’s best.
Notre Dame vs. Georgia CFP Prediction: Georgia Bulldogs +1