Clemson Tigers vs. Georgia Bulldogs Odds & Game Pick (2021)
A pair of top-five teams will go at it right away this season, as the No. 2 Clemson Tigers will square off against the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Saturday. While the Tigers will welcome in a new starter under center, the Bulldogs are confident they have their guy in J.T. Daniels, and they’ll come into the season with the most talent around him they’ve had in years. With both teams having CFP-level expectations, which one will win, and which one will have to go undefeated from here on out? Let’s take a closer look.
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Details
- Opening Line: Clemson -4.5, O/U 51.5
- Current Line: Clemson -2.5, O/U 51
- Last meeting: August 30, 2014, Georgia 45, Clemson 21
|
GEORGIA
|
+3
-110
|
o51
-110
|
+135
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
CLEMSON
|
-3
-110
|
u51
-110
|
-165
|
Overview
Debuting late in 2020 after recovering from an ACL injury, Bulldogs quarterback J.T. Daniels immediately showed fans what got the coaching staff so excited to land the transfer. He threw for 300-plus yards in his first game and never looked back, continuing to torch defenses across his final two regular-season starts.
This year, Daniels will get his top receiving weapon back in Kearis Jackson. He’ll also get running back Zamir White to round out what should be a stacked offense. On the defensive side, Georgia’s injury-riddled 2020 seems to be behind them â - they’ll enter this season healthy and looking to return to their 2019 form. They surrendered just under 13 points per game that year.
Analysts expect quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei to pick up right where the Tigers left off with Trevor Lawrence. However, they don’t have a replacement for star running back Travis Etienne, who bolted for the NFL with Lawrence. That leaves D.J. as their top returning rusher.
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Trends
- Georgia is 12-2 as non-conference underdogs of less than 9 points
- Georgia has won seven straight season openers
Bottom Line
Though much of the value is gone from the Bulldogs, who peaked at 4.5-point underdogs over the summer, I believe that they have an edge in this one. Kirby Smart has one of the most talented rosters that he has ever worked with. And while Dabo Swinney has reloaded on the defensive side of the ball following another offseason of draft departures, I think that this major Week 1 challenge will prove too much for his inexperienced squad.
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