The Georgia Bulldogs pick up their quest for another SEC division title when they host the Vanderbilt Commodores in a rematch of an SEC thriller from last year Saturday night in Athens (7:45 pm ET, ESPN2).
Georgia Bulldogs Vs. Vanderbilt: Betting Odds, Preview And Prediction
Vandy threw a scare into Georgia a year ago, but few expect the Bulldogs to be frightened of anything they will face Saturday. The point spread reflects the fact oddsmakers and the betting public see things the same way.Follow @SBNationCFB
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Will the Dawgs continue their dominance over Vandy? Or can the Commodores come up with an upset effort?
“We still had Georgia as 16-point chalk on Friday and we expect a lot of action on this big game to keep coming in on Saturday,” said Scott Winstone, sportsbook manager at Top Bet.
Georgia returned 16 starters this season, including nine on defense, from a team that went 10-4 last year. The Bulldogs opened this season with a 45-23 victory over Buffalo, then welcomed Missouri to the SEC with a 41-20 win in Columbia. Last Saturday the Dawgs kicked aside Florida Atlantic 56-20, according to the Georgia-Vanderbilt matchup report.
Georgia was only tied with the Owls at 14 midway through the second quarter but then went on a 42-0 run to ice things down.
With its three victories Georgia has advanced in the AP poll, but only from No. 6 in the pre-season Top 25 to No. 5 in this week’s poll.
Vandy got back 15 starters this season, including eight on offense, from a team that went 6-7 last season. The Commodores opened this season with a tough 17-13 loss at home to South Carolina, then lost 23-13 at Northwestern.
Vandy then picked up its first victory of the season last Saturday, a 58-0 decision over Presbyterian (FCS).
The Commodores have already made a change at quarterback, sitting incumbent Jordan Rodgers and giving Austyn Carta-Samuels the start last week. He responded by going 13-for-20 passing for 195 yards and a score, although that was against an FCS team.
Georgia has taken 16 of the last 17 games in the series with Vandy. Last year the Bulldogs led 23-7, but had to hold on for a 33-28 victory. The Commodores rallied with help from a kick-off return for a score, then later blocked a punt in the final minute that gave them a couple shots at the end zone.
They came up empty from there, but did garner a cover as 13-points underdogs.
That game got chippy, and resulted in an on-field shouting match afterward between Vandy HC James Franklin and Georgia DC Todd Grantham.
This game opened earlier this week with Georgia favored by 14 points at most CFB betting outlets, but as of Thursday afternoon the Dawgs had been bet up to -15.5 at most places. And while the total on this game opened at 55, it’s been bet down to 51.
Free Pick: Vandy gave Georgia a scare last year, so the Commodores won’t be sneaking up on the Dawgs this time around. And this one will be played between the hedges. We’ll give the points on this one and back the Bulldogs.
