Two of the teams still in the fight to win the 2023 College Football Championship, Georgia and Ohio State, meet in the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Eve, and here we look ahead to their fixture in our NCAAF betting picks.
This promises to be an absolute cracker. Top-ranked Georgia will take on the number four-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. Both sides have had exceptional seasons, but Kirby Smart’s team looks to have the edge.
The Georgia Bulldogs have had the perfect season. They topped the SEC East, thrashed LSU 50-30 in the SEC Championship game, have a 13-0 record, and are position number 1 in the latest college football rankings.
Just for good measure, they are also the favorites to be the 2023 NCAAF champions. BetOnline currently has the Bulldogs at -135, while the Buckeyes are at +375.
The other two teams still in the running are Michigan (+290), and TCU (+1400). These odds are brought to you by BetOnline; you can read more about them, including their latest new customers offer, in our BetOnline sportsbook review.
The Bulldogs dismantled LSU in the SEC Championship match at the start of the month. The 50-30 win typified the Bulldog’s season. It wasn’t their most impressive performance, but the match was never in doubt. The victory gave the Dawgs their first SEC Championship win since 2017, and it also means they go into the playoffs as the top seed.
Throughout the 2022 campaign, the Bulldogs weren’t troubled in their regular-season matches. The closest they were pushed was in their fixture against Missouri, with Smart’s team winning 26-22 at the Faurot Field Memorial Stadium. A 27-13 win over Tennessee, and a 16-6 win over Kentucky, were the only other matches that were remotely close.
As for Ohio State, they finished the season with an 11-1 record. The Buckeyes were 100% up until their final match against the Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines were too strong for Ohio on the day, running out 45-23 winners at the Ohio Stadium.
As we’ve alluded, Ohio is +375 third favorites to win the 2023 Championship match. This is probably an accurate indication of where they are after the defeat to Michigan at the start of December. This was a showdown between what were two unbeaten teams at the time, and unfortunately for Ryan Day’s team, they came off second best.
The NCAAF Vegas odds setters can only see a win for the Bulldogs when they clash on New Year’s Eve. On the moneyline, Georgia is -260, while Ohio State is +210.
The handicap market sees Ohio-handed a 7 points start. The Buckeyes are -120 at the start, with Georgia, the outsiders, at +100. On the total points line, the total to beat is 62.5 points. Both over and under this mark is -110.
Moving onto our NCAAF betting picks, and for me, I feel that the Bulldogs aren’t going to let this chance pass them by. They’ve been the best side this season, and only something out of the blue can stop them from going all the way.
With Georgia at -260, they are just about worth backing on the moneyline to win. Any shorter, I’m not sure they would represent good value, even though I feel they will win.
I am slightly surprised to see on the handicap line Ohio seems to be getting back in. I don’t believe that 7 points is much of a gap at this level, and I can see the Bulldogs winning the game by more than that spread amount.
If you are looking for a bet on either the moneyline or the handicap, then I would be more interested in the handicap. Although I think -260 isn’t the worst value bet for a win, I’m more than happy to take the extra risk – which I believe to be small. So, therefore, my betting pick for the Peach Bowl is for the Georgia Bulldogs to win on the handicap spread.
As for the total points market, if the two teams’ last respective matches are anything to go on, over 62.5 would be the obvious call. Georgia’s match had 80 points, and the Buckeyes’ fixture with Michigan saw 68 points scored.
I believe that 62.5 is a testing total. I want the total to be beaten so that the Peach Bowl is more of a spectacle. However, my head is telling me it won’t be the case. I can see the two sides being more defensively sound than their most recent opponents were.
And although I feel the spread could be beaten, I feel it’s more likely that it won’t be, and make under 62.5 points my second betting pick.
