Notre Dame vs Georgia Picks & Odds – UGA Is 12-5 Against Ranked Opponents Since 2016
By Brady Trettenero in College Football
Updated: April 7, 2020 at 4:36 pm EDTPublished:
- No.3 Georgia hosts No.7 Notre Dame in Week 4
- The Bulldogs are 12-5 against ranked opponents since 2016
- How should you bet on the Notre Dame vs Georgia odds?
No.3 Georgia (3-0) hosts No.7 Notre Dame (2-0) in a Week 4 matchup at Sanford Stadium (8:00 PM ET, Sat. Sep. 21th).
Neither has played another ranked team to date, though the Bulldogs are 12-5 against ranked opponents since 2016, while the Fighting Irish have struggled against top-five teams.
How should you bet on the Notre Dame vs. Georgia Odds?
Notre Dame vs Georgia Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame (#7) | +15 (-115) | +450 | O 57.5 (-110) |
| Georgia (#3) | -15 (-105) | -700 | U 57.5 (-110) |
*Odds taken 09/20/19.
Notre Dame vs. Georgia Matchup
Georgia rolls into Week 4 having beat their first three opponents — Vanderbilt, Murray State and Arkansas State — by a combined score of 148-23. The Bulldogs are coming off a dominant 55-0 victory over the Red Wolves in Week 3. While they’ve had their way against outmatched opponents, the Fighting Irish will be UGA’s first real test of the season.
Notre Dame is 2-0 on the season after beating Louisville 35-17 in Week 1 and defeating New Mexico 66-14 in Week 3. Senior quarterback Ian Book turned in a strong performance against the Lobos, completing 15 of 24 passes for 360 yards and five touchdowns.
“It has got to be the greatest home field advantage that the University of Georgia’s ever had.” – @KirbySmartUGA on #UGA matchup with Notre Dame pic.twitter.com/RriJM2rfUO
— Wes Blankenship (@Wes_nship) September 14, 2019
Notre Dame and Georgia are facing off for the third time in history, but this will be the first time the Fighting Irish visit Sanford Stadium. Georgia beat Notre Dame 17-10 in the 1981 Sugar Bowl and also defeated the Fighting Irish 20-19 at Notre Dame Stadium in 2017.
Georgia is 12-5 against ranked opponents since 2016, while the Fighting Irish haven’t beaten a top-five team on the road since they defeated No. 3 Michigan in 2005. Does Notre Dame have what it takes to pull off the upset on the road against a rock-solid Georgia team?
Georgia’s Running Game Will Be Key
The Bulldogs have a very deep backfield led by D’Andre Swift. Georgia currently ranks eighth in the nation with 286.7 rushing yards per game and has five different running backs with over 100 rushing yards.
Notre Dame’s defense has struggled on the ground this season. They’re allowing 230.5 rushing yards on 5.0 yards per carry and are going to struggle against a top-10 offense. They were outgained 136-54 on the ground in the first half against a much weaker New Mexico team in Week 3.
The Notre Dame Defense has allowed 19 run plays of 10+ yards this season.
Only 13 teams have allowed more this season.
All 13 of those teams have played 3 games.
Notre Dame has played 2….
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) September 18, 2019
Notre Dame’s defense is ranked 118th, overall, while Georgia is top-10 in both major defensive and offensive categories. While the Fighting Irish may not be able to shutdown Georgia’s rush offense, could they still win the battle in the air?
Ian Book vs. Jake Fromm QB Battle
The Bulldogs have the advantage in almost every area in this matchup, including at QB. Book is a great talent, but Fromm is even better. The Georgia QB is 42-of-56 for 601 yards and five touchdowns without an interception. He ranks eighth in the nation with a 194.6 pass efficiency rating.
Book is currently ranked fifth with a 202.7 rating, but he’s only played two games.
Notre Dame’s best shot at winning this game is relying on Book’s arm and hoping to create havoc plays on defense. They currently rank ninth in the country with seven turnovers and nine tackles for loss through two games. They’ve also only given up one turnover.
Ian Book on looking ahead to Georgia: "We’ve been talking about this game for a while. We’ve been looking forward to it. It's time."
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) September 14, 2019
Book is capable of winning this game for Notre Dame, but too many things have to go right for the Fighting Irish to make them a good upset pick. Jake Fromm has been excellent thus far and he’s got two great targets at receiver in George Pickens and Dominick Blaylock. The two wide receivers have a combined 16 catches for 322 yards and three touchdowns in three games.
Even if Book has the game of his life and the defense comes up with some clutch plays, I don’t see Fromm or Georgia’s run game slipping enough for them to lose this game.
Notre Dame vs. Georgia Pick
Notre Dame has showed this season (and last) that they are a quality team. But the national semifinal against Clemson last year (a 30-3 loss for the Irish) showed that they are still a step below the very best teams in the country, and that’s exactly what Georgia is.
The Bulldogs have the better offensive line, running backs, and quarterback, and they should be able to dominate on both sides of the ball. Book may keep this game close, but Fromm will continue his strong play and Georgia’s ground game will wear down Notre Dame’s defensive front.
The spread line has continued to move since Georgia opened as -12 favorites. Over two touchdowns is too many to lay, but take the Bulldogs on the moneyline and strongly consider putting them in your parlays for the week.
Pick: Georgia (-700)
Lead NHL & NCAAF Editor
Brady is the lead NHL and College Football editor at Sports Betting Dime, where he specializes in betting odds and data-driven analysis. Brady has over 10 years experience working in sports media, with work published by outlets such as ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports.
