Oregon vs. Georgia: TV info, betting odds and expert predictions
Oregon begins the Dan Lanning era on Saturday.
The time has finally come. Kickoff is nearly here. The 11th-ranked Ducks are battling the third-ranked Georgia Bulldogs in Atlanta, Georgia for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. The Bulldogs are the defending national champions.
The Ducks will bring in plenty of talent themselves. According to the 247 Team Talent Composite, the Ducks own the most talented roster in the Pac-12 and a top-10 roster in college football. Led by linebacker Noah Sewell on defense and presumed starting quarterback Bo Nix on offense, the Ducks are expected to compete for a Pac-12 title in Lanning’s first season.
Of course, winning or losing to Georgia won’t impact that goal, but a win would send quite the statement to the rest of the league. Utah is the defending league winner. USC is the trendy up-and-comer. Don’t overlook the Ducks. Ask Ohio State how that went last time.
Here are details for Saturday’s game:
TV and Kickoff Time
Kickoff time: 12:30 p.m. PT
TV Network: ABC; fans can also watch the game live on Watch ESPN with a cable or satellite provider login.
Betting odds
Line: Georgia -16.5
Total: 54.5
Money line: Georgia -710, Oregon +490
Expert predictions
ESPN’s FPI gives Oregon only an 8.5% chance of beating the Bulldogs.
Sporting News’ Bill Bender predicts a 32-20 Georgia win:
Bennett is back at quarterback for Georgia, and that connection with Bowers is a difference-maker. Bennett was efficient in those playoff victories against Alabama and Michigan, and if he avoids turnovers and completes 66% of his passes the Bulldogs will be in great shape. Oregon does have talent, and it seems a bit undervalued all things considered. Those last three losses to SEC schools were by an average of 7.6 points per game. The Bulldogs will win here, but with Lanning the Ducks hang around longer than expected, and Smart holds off on a last-minute TD while running out the clock.
CBS Sports’ Barrett Sallee predicts Georgia to win and to cover:
The hangover from last year’s title in Indianapolis is long gone. Georgia will show that it isn’t going to be complacent and dominate Oregon in what should be a de facto home game. Lanning knows how to attack Georgia’s offensive personnel, but stopping it is going to be a much bigger problem. Look for Georgia to come out on a mission early, wear Oregon down and lean on the Ducks in the fourth quarter to pull away and cover.
CFN’s Pete Fiutak predicts a Georgia win as well:
Oregon will bring the fight, and the chances will be there for the offense to take over, but it won’t be able to do it. This isn’t going to be a total wipeout, but Georgia will get up early and flex its national championship muscle when needed in the second half.
Bill Connelly’s SP+ system predicts a 36-17 win for the Bulldogs.
And our own Jon Gold also has Georgia:
The Ducks have to be commended for consistently challenging themselves with non-conference beasts early in the season. While some of their opponents haven’t been at the top of their respective games by the time they met (Nebraska in 2016 and ’17, for example, others have been playoff contenders. In 2014 and ’15, it was Michigan State, followed by the two-game Nebraska set. After a painless 2018 non-conference slate, the Ducks came back in 2019 with Auburn, a 27-21 Tigers comeback led by then-freshman Bo Nix. And last year it was Ohio State, as the Ducks traveled to the No. 3 Buckeyes and dealt them a 45-38 loss. This year’s melee feels different, mainly because Georgia enters the game as defending national champions and ranked No. 3 by several polls. As much as I want to believe the Ducks have a chance in this one, I don’t.