College Football Betting Preview: Georgia Bulldogs vs. Florida Gators
No. 8 Georgia and No. 6 Florida will meet in Jacksonville, Fla., Saturday in a battle for first place in the SEC East. The winner of this game will most likely advance to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game. The Gators (7-1, 4-1 SEC) and Bulldogs (6-1, 3-1) are both ranked among the nation’s Top 10 for a second straight meeting.
Saturday’s game will showcase two potent offenses. Georgia averages 36 points (ranked 24th nationally) and 471.3 yards (21st) total offense. Florida averages 32.5 points (45th) and 419.6 yards (52nd).
Georgia absolutely crushed Kentucky 21-0 two weeks ago, before enjoying a bye last week. It was tied 0-0 at halftime on a wet and soggy Saturday in Georgia. The Bulldogs ran for 235 yards, including 140 in the second half. D’Andre Swift decided to put the team on his shoulders, running for 179 yards and a touchdown. Neither team was able to pass due to the weather, as both teams put up less than 50 yards in the air.
The Gators rebounded from their only loss on Oct. 12 at LSU (42-28) with a 38-27 victory at South Carolina and will play three of their final four games in the state of Florida. Kyle Trask, who was shaky through three quarters, ended up completing 21 of 33 passes for 200 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. He did a good job of spreading the ball around with eight different receivers catching passes and all four touchdowns being scored by different players.
Bulldogs Looking To Remain Alive in Playoff Hunt
If Georgia wins this game, it will have a shot at still making the College Football Playoff. The Bulldogs have another tough test against Auburn, and if they can win out and make the SEC title game, anything can happen.
Junior quarterback Jake Fromm is 123 of 174 on the season for 1,406 yards and nine touchdowns with three interceptions. Fromm has completed just 37 of 63 throws for 330 yards and three interceptions over his last two games. Freshman George Pickens is the leading receiver with 23 catches for 318 yards and two touchdowns.
The Bulldogs lead the SEC in rushing offense. They do it with a deep backfield and one of the best offensive lines in all of college football. Swift leads the SEC in rushing yards per game at 107.4 and has 752 yards with seven touchdowns on the year.
Georgia leads the SEC in fewest points allowed a contest at 10.6 per game. The Bulldogs rank first in the SEC against the run and are holding teams to just 3.02 yards a carry and 85.7 yards a game on the ground.
Gators Feel Disrespected
Florida is a 6.5-point underdog in a game not in their stadium, but in their home state. They are ranked sixth in the nation and aren’t happy that they aren’t the favorite. The Gators will look to prove their doubters wrong and move one step closer to the SEC title game and an outside shot at the playoff.
Florida enters Saturday’s game averaging 32.5 points a game. Trask has passed for 1,391 yards and 14 touchdowns to just four picks this year. One of the deeper receiving corps in the SEC will get a little deeper with playmaker Kadarius Toney returning after a six-game absence due to injury. Tight end Kyle Pitts leads the team with 35 catches for 391 yards and four touchdowns.
The Gators have had a hard time running the ball this year. Lamical Perine leads the team with 460 yards on 100 carries with four touchdowns.
Florida’s secondary has not allowed an opponent to exceed more than 300 passing yards. Marco Wilson, Shawn Davis and CJ Henderson make up one of the best groups of defensive backs in the nation. The defense will be looking to stop the run and make Fromm beat them.
The Pick
The line is Georgia -6.5, and the over/under is 45.5. These two teams have some of the best defenses in the SEC, maybe even the nation. Florida will look to pack the box and take advantage of Fromm, who has struggled of late. The game plan worked to perfection for South Carolina. Both teams had a bye week, so there will probably be some adjustments for both teams, but especially the Georgia offense. Georgia wins, but Florida covers in a battle that comes down to the wire. Georgia 23, Florida 20.
Pick: Florida +6.5
