The Georgia Bulldogs are both the consensus No. 1 preseason team and the betting favorites to win the national championship for the third straight season.
No team has won three straight national titles in 87 years, dating back to Minnesota’s three-peat from 1934-36.
The odds are against Georgia, but it overcame the odds last year.
The 2022 Bulldogs had to replace the entire defense after nine starters were selected in the NFL Draft (wow!), but Kirby Smart re-loaded, and Georgia finished fifth in points allowed per game (14.3).
The Bulldogs haven’t lost a regular season game since Week 6 of 2020 against Florida but are expected to go undefeated again in 2023.
Georgia’s regular season win total is set at 11.5 across the market, with plus-money odds on the over.
If you’re doing the math at home, the Bulldogs must run the table for the third consecutive season to cash their win total.
So, how many games will Georgia win this season? And can we bet on either side of the total in this market?
| Georgia Bulldogs odds |
|---|
| To win the College Football National Championship +220 |
| To win the SEC -105 |
| To win SEC East -380 |
| Win total: Over/Under 11.5 (-142/+116) |
Georgia’s biggest worry is its new offensive coordinator-quarterback combo.
Todd Monken returned to the NFL and Stetson Bennett (finally) graduated. It’ll be near impossible for the Bulldogs to replicate their production from last season – they averaged more than 41 points per game.
The new offensive coordinator is Mike Bobo, their quarterbacks coach between 2007-14.
The new quarterback is probably Carson Beck, but Brock Vandagriff will push him for the starting role.
I can’t accurately project how those two will perform, but I know they’ll have tons of support.
The Bulldogs have one of the country’s deepest, most-talented offensive lines (rated the top offensive line unit by Phil Steele) and return three of their top four running backs. This unit averaged more than 200 rushing yards per game and more than five yards per carry last season and they should improve their efficiency this year.
Whomever starts at quarterback will have several explosive weapons, but none will be more impactful than tight end Brock Bowers.
Bowers is arguably the biggest mismatch in college football at 6’4”, 230 lbs., with excellent route running skills and even better pass catching skills.
Bowers set the program record for receptions (63) and receiving yards (942) by a tight end last year and he’ll likely improve. He’s undoubtedly the best tight end in the country.
Bobo’s and Beck’s best bet is imitating what Monken and Bennett did – move the ball around and avoid sacks. The playmakers should take care of the rest.
Georgia should cruise barring an unexpected monster dip in offensive production.
The Bulldogs have consistency on defense, with co-coordinators Will Muschamp and Glen Schuman returning for another season.
They lost some playmakers on that side of the ball, but seven starters return, and Smart is starting to develop his younger talent.
Look out for sophomore defensive end Mykel Williams, who will be one of the best all-around edge defenders in the country.
| 2023 Georgia Bulldogs schedule |
|---|
| vs. Tennessee Martin (Sep. 2, 6 p.m. ET) |
| vs. Ball State (Sep. 9, 12 p.m. ET) |
| vs. South Carolina (Sep. 16, 3:30 p.m. ET) |
| vs. UAB (Sep. 23) |
| @ Auburn (Sep. 30) |
| vs. Kentucky (Oct. 7) |
| @ Vanderbilt (Oct. 14) |
| @ Florida (Oct. 28, 3:30 p.m. ET.) |
| vs. Missouri (Nov. 4) |
| vs. Mississippi (Nov .11) |
| @ Tennessee (Nov. 18) |
| @ Georgia Tech (Nov. 25) |
The Bulldogs have the 49th-hardest strength of schedule in the country, per Action Analytics – a very easy road for a Power Five team.
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Their non-conference schedule consists of UT Martin, Ball State and UAB and they have just three true SEC road games.
The Bulldogs are projected as a double-digit favorite in every game this year – their lowest projected spread by Action Analytics is at Auburn in Week 5, when they’re favored by 11.
They’re projected to be favored by at least two touchdowns in 10 games.
Georgia has a cakewalk to 12-0.
Sure, there are questions about the offense, but they’re minor in the grand scheme.
And, sure, one upset loss is all you need to ruin this win total.
But seven of Steele’s nine sets of power rankings are projecting a 12-0 season for the Bulldogs.
At the minimum, the Bulldogs shouldn’t be getting plus-money to run the table – you should have to pay juice to bet on a perfect season.
The Action Analytics team makes Georgia’s win total exactly 11.5, so the Over 11.5 (+116) bet at FanDuel has value.
From a non-mathematical perspective, Kirby’s Bulldogs are among the best college football teams of all time and have an obnoxiously easy schedule.
I don’t see them slipping up.