Georgia vs Oregon Odds, Spread and Prediction

• No. 3 Georgia opens defense of its 2021 title against No. 11 Oregon on Saturday, September 3rd
• The Bulldogs are a 17.5-point favorite at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
• Read below for Georgia vs Oregon odds, analysis, and betting prediction

No. 3 Georgia is a 17.5-point favorite over No. 11 Oregon in the season opener for both in a Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at 3:30 pm ET Saturday, September 3rd on ABC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, 69.6 miles from Georgia’s campus in Athens.

No. 11 Oregon is led by first-year coach Dan Lanning, who was the defensive coordinator for Kirby Smart at Georgia the last three seasons. Former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix is expected to start for the Ducks.

Georgia vs Oregon Odds

Odds from Barstool Sportsbook on Sept 1.

UGA is a large -835 favorite on the moneyline, giving them 89% implied probability to defeat the Ducks.

What Can Georgia Do For an Encore?

Georgia’s 2021 national championship, it’s first in 41 seasons, was built around the steady quarterback play of Stetson Bennett and a disruptive defense that posted some of the best numbers in FBS history, especially considering it played in the SEC, the best conference in the nation.

The Bulldogs’ defense was first in the FBS in points given up (10.2 per game) and second in opponents’ total offense (268.9 yards per) despite playing in a conference in which nine teams averaged at least four touchdowns a game. The loss of eight starters from that unit to the NFL draft will be felt, although the Bulldogs remain one of the favorites in the national championship odds.

Bennett replaced more-heralded USC transfer JT Daniels after Daniels’s injury early last season and never lost the job, passing for 2,862 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Stetson Bennett was a walk-on. I get it. Also, his…

-adjusted completion was 76.7% (6th among returning P5 QB’s)
-9.97 yards per attempt was 3rd in FBS
-15.47 yards per completion was 4th in FBS (1st in P5)
-86.7 QBR was 3rd in FBS

There’s no statistical argument against him

— Graham Coffey (@GrahamCoffeyDC) August 22, 2022

Georgia must replace running backs James Cook (Dalvin’s brother) and Zamir White, both selected in the first four rounds of the NFL draft, on an offense that averaged  43 yards per game, 191 yards rushing. The Bulldogs won the title by blowing through Michigan and Alabama in the CFP Final Four, but this season will be a steeper climb, although the NCAAF strength of schedule rankings is on their side.

Oregon Coach Knows the SEC

First-hear Ducks coach Dan Lanning, hired when Mario Cristobal went home to Miami, Fla., has seen the SEC at its best. Lanning, 36, orchestrated Georgia’s defense as Kirby Smart’s defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach from 2018-21, and he was a graduate assistant at Alabama under Nick Saban in 2015.

#Oregon coach Dan Lanning speaking this evening on his Game Day nerves;

"I'm the guy that has to pee 5 or 6 times before the game starts. I LOVE football. I'm still like that. I'm sure right before we take the field I'll be in the urinal" pic.twitter.com/0fTuWEt7f6

— Oregon Duck FB News (@DuckFBNews) August 30, 2022

Transfer quarterback Bo Nix, a three-year starter at Auburn before suffering a season-ending injury late last season, is expected to open against old rival Georgia, although no announcement has been made. Both teams rank high in the CFB wins total odds.

Nix will direct an offense led by new coordinator Kenny Dillingham, his position coach when Nix was the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2019. Nix has passed for 7,251 yards, 39 touchdowns and 16 interceptions while rushing for 18 touchdowns in his career, but he has completed only 56.3 percent of his passes for 639 yards, one touchdown and two picks while going against Georgia, which was the favorite each time.

By the Numbers

Georgia is 11-5-1 SU and 5-5 ATS against the Pac-12, although it has not played the Pac-12 since a 29-27 loss to Colorado in 2010. Oregon is 5-8 SU and 5-4 ATS against the SEC, the last meeting a 27-21 loss to Auburn as a four-point underdog when Nix threw the winning touchdown pass with nine seconds remaining to beat Justin Herbert’s Ducks.

Georgia vs Oregon Prediction

Neither team backs away from playing non-conference toughies early — the Bulldogs have opened against No. 5 Boise State (a 35-21 loss in Atlanta in 2011), No. 13 Clemson (38-35 road loss in 2013), No. 16 Clemson (a 45-21 home win in 2014 ), No. 22 North Carolina (a 33-24 win in Atlanta) and again No. 3 Clemson last year (a 10-3 win in Charlotte, N.C.)

The Ducks beat then-No. 3 Ohio State 35-28 in the second week of 2021 and finished 10-4 (5-9 ATS), their second double-digit win total in the last two non-COVID seasons. This line is more a reflection of Georgia’s dominance in its national championship run than the current conditions. The Ducks will be in this all the way.

The pick: Oregon +17 (-112)