The top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs kick off their revenge season against the 14th-ranked, reenergized Clemson Tigers in the marquee matchup of Week 1 - a game with implications that go far beyond just a win or loss.
Georgia is a 13.5 point favorite in this matchup with the total currently sitting at 48.5 points. Georgia's moneyline is currently at -575 at most sportsbooks with Clemson at +425.
Georgia leads the all time series 43-18-4, have won 8 of the last 9 meetings, including a 10-3 win in 2021.
Georgia comes into this game as 13.5 point favorites as they are returning their starting Quarterback Carson Beck and have overflowing talent everywhere across the roster. Would it be the boring pick to select Kirby Smart’s side to cover the spread? Sure. But this team is ready and itching to take the field after their bitter end to the 2023 season that saw them barely miss out on the College Football Playoff where they would have had a chance to go for three straight National Championships.
Beck looks to be one of the top Heisman contenders, RB transfer from Florida Trevor Etienne will provide a consistent ground game, and the top-of-the-line Kirby-led defense are the three components that will overtake Clemson at some points in this game. There are questions on the offensive side of the ball though.
We know Georgia will hold teams to under 25 points each night, but is there a singular playmaker on offense that can win this team a football game?
With Brock Bowers in the league, the wide receiving and tight end units simply look like a roulette of depth. With this being said, by Week 3 I’m sure Georgia will have their top two playmakers solidified on the offense side of the football with momentum heading in their direction.
Clemson is coming off a year where they won five straight games to close a rocky chapter. Moving into this new era of CFB, Cade Klubnik and Phil Mafah will have to have their best collegiate seasons and spearhead this offense into a more consistent stratosphere as their schedule doesn’t get a whole lot easier with NC State and Florida State waiting patiently. While those two teams are no Georgia, keeping this game within reaching distance will be a massive win for Dabo Swinney and company as they look to get back on top of the college football landscape for the first time since the Lawrence era.
Ranked 50th in total yards per game in 2023, the nagging question will ask the offense to continue to produce more and more. Win and loss aside, if the Tigers can’t score points on this Bulldog defense this weekend, it will hinder their hopes of leaving the ACC for the foreseeable future. This game is meaningful beyond words and both coaches know this.
Georgia will win this football game by a touchdown, but the spread sitting at -13.5 is daunting especially with Cade Klubnik and Phil Mafah on the offensive side of the ball for Clemson.
Last season, the Tigers only lost one game by more than one score - their season opener against Duke.
On the other hand, Georgia didn’t cover the 13.5 spread in 5 of their 13 regular season games last season including the last two of the year.
While the Bulldogs are going to win this game in my book, Dabo’s squad won’t fade away and due to Georgia’s lack of playmaking presence outside of the numbers this will not end up as a blowout.
Prediction: Georgia 31-23 Clemson
Best Bet: Clemson +13.5
Phil Mafah - Anytime TD (+110)
Mafah scored in seven games last season as the RB2 for Clemson, including 4 times in their Bowl game against Kentucky.
Cade Klubnik - Under 200 PASS YDS
In games where Cade threw less than 30 attempts last season, he went under the 200 yard mark each time. This Georgia team will chew clock and keep Cade honest when throwing downfield, resulting in a more run-heavy Clemson scheme.
Oscar Delp - Anytime TD (+280)
With Brock Bowers in the NFL, Oscar Delp will step up as the new 6’5, 245 pound tight end for the Bulldogs. Delp caught 3 TDs last season while Bowers caught 6.