Posted 12 months ago |  Betting Previews and Predictions, NCAAF  |  4 comments

Georgia vs Florida State December 30, 2023 @ Miami FL

Opening Betting Odds

Spread: Georgia -14.5 Florida State +14.5
Moneyline: Georgia -600, Florida State +460
Total: 45

Preview

For the first time in history an undefeated Power Five Conference champion has been left out of the playoffs. While Florida State fans are left reeling, the defending champion Georgia Bulldogs dropped five spots from 1st to 6th after losing by just three points to Alabama.

While both these teams would like to make a statement here in the Orange Bowl, it’s likely that plenty of starters on both sides will opt out, declare for the draft or hit the transfer portal.

Kirby Smart is 8-2 in bowl games as a head coach, but not all bowl games are created equally. This year’s Orange Bowl could be a let down after playing for back to back National Championships.

Mike Norvell has a career record of 1-3 in Bowl games, but that one win came last year in the Cheez-it Bowl against Oklahoma. Jordan Travis threw for over 400 yards in that game, and Norvell won’t have his senior quarterback here against Georgia.

Georgia

• 12-1 Overall in 2023
• 8-0 in the SEC in 2023
• 4-8-1 ATS in 2023

The Bulldogs finished 2nd in the SEC in total offense, averaging 483 yards per game. They also finished first in the SEC in scoring defense allowing just 16.6 yards per game. Georgia had won 29 consecutive games prior to a 27-24 loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck finished 4th nationally in passing yards (3,738), with 22 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Tight-end Brock Bowers is expected to be a first round pick in the NFL Draft, and he and Ladd McConkey are likely to opt out of the bowl game.

The Bulldogs scored an SEC best 35 rushing touchdowns, and they have a deep backfield with five different running backs all averaging over five yards per carry.

Florida State

• 13-0 Overall in 2023
• 9-0 in the ACC in 2023
• 8-5 ATS in 2023

Mike Norvell wasn’t happy about his team being left out of the playoffs. He unleashed on the committee: “I am disgusted and infuriated with the committee’s decision today to have what was earned on the field taken away because a small group of people decided they knew better than the results of the games,” Norvell said. “What is the point of playing games?” Norvell added: “What happened today goes against everything that is true and right in college football. A team that overcame tremendous adversity and found a way to win doing whatever it took on the field was cheated today. It’s a sad day for college football.”

The fact of the matter is that a four team playoff system was destined to fail, and while the Seminoles certainly deserved a spot in the playoff, they are not one of the top four teams in the country. The fact that they find themselves a double digit underdog here in this bowl game is evidence of such.

The Seminoles only had a total of 224 passing yards, no passing touchdowns and less than a 50 percent completion percentage with their second and third string quarterbacks in their final two games.

Relevant Trends

• The Bulldogs are 8-4 ATS in their last 12 games played in December.
• The Bulldogs are 7-0 SU in their last 7 games against an opponent in the ACC.
• The total has gone under in 4 of Florida State’s last 5 games.
• The Bulldogs are 29-1 SU in their last 30 games.
• The Florida State are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games when playing as the underdog.

PREDICTION: GEORGIA 33 – FLORIDA STATE 13

While it is difficult to predict who will opt out of this game, we know for certain that Jordan Travis and Johnny Wilson are not going to play. Georgia had the #1 recruiting class in the country three years ago, and they have had three straight Top 5 recruiting classes. Even if starters opt out, the players behind them are likely a step above what Florida State has to offer. Those expecting the Seminoles to come in here and prove everyone wrong, need to remember that Georgia was also snubbed. A lot of the emotion will have subsided by the time this game kicks off.

[wp_social_sharing social_options='facebook,twitter,googleplus,linkedin,pinterest,xing' twitter_username='capperreviews' facebook_text='Share on Facebook' twitter_text='Share on Twitter' googleplus_text='Share on Google+' icon_order='f,t,g' show_icons='0' before_button_text='' text_position='' social_image='']

Leave a Comment