The Peach Bowl in Atlanta is the host of the second College Football Playoff national semifinal, which features the Ohio State Buckeyes and Georgia Bulldogs. The game is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. One team will be celebrating a national championship berth heading into the new year.
The Buckeyes (11-1) were lucky to slip into the playoff after losing to Michigan to close the regular season and be denied a bid for a Big Ten Championship. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs (13-0) return to defend their national championship, having dominated most every game.
The Bulldogs are favored by 6.5 points with an over/under of 62 points. The Buckeyes are +225 on the moneyline, while Georgia is -280.
Ohio State to play spoiler?
This is the fifth playoff appearance for the Buckeyes, which included a championship in 2014 and a runner-up bid in 2020. They have a tough test to beat the Bulldogs, though.
Ohio State’s offense was second in scoring at 44.5 points per game and sixth in total offense at 492.7 yards per game. The Buckeyes were 14th in passing at 294.2 yards per game and 29th in rushing at 198.5 yards per game. Their four turnovers were tied for 21st.
Defensively, they were 13th at 19.3 points allowed per game and 11th at 303.9 yards of offense allowed. They were 13th against the pass, allowing 184.0 yards per game, and 23rd against the rush, allowing 119.9 yards per game. Their nine takeaways were tied for 86th.
The Buckeyes were 5-6-1 against the spread, all as favorites, and 9-3 on over/unders.
Georgia looks to repeat
The Bulldogs have won 15 straight games since losing the SEC Championship on Dec. 4, 2021, to Alabama, 41-24. Their offense looks better than a season ago, while their defense is just as good despite 15 players going to the NFL draft.
They are 11th in scoring 39.2 points per game and seventh in gaining 491.8 yards of offense per game. They were 19th in passing at 284.5 yards per game and 18th in rushing at 207.3 yards per game. However, their ten giveaways was 108th.
Defensively, they were second in allowing 12.8 points per game and ninth in allowing 292.1 yards of offense per game. They were tops against the rush, allowing 77.0 yards per game, and 51st against the pass, allowing 215.1 yards per game. Their ten takeaways were tied for 68th.
They were 7-6 against the spread, all as favorites, and 7-6 on over/unders.
Ohio State/Georgia Betting Prediction
Public betting data shows 66% of bets are on Georgia to cover the spread, while 59% are on the over.
The advantage for the Buckeyes is their passing attack is a strength, and it is Georgia’s defense’s weakest portion. Being able to generate turnovers and throw the ball is the recipe for Ohio State’s success. But Georgia is tougher than any team they have faced, and we’ll take Georgia -6.5.
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