Georgia football is now the No.1 team in the country as they head to Columbia to take on a South Carolina team with nothing to lose. The Dawgs will have their first road test of the season, and it will be the first real test because the Gamecocks will be ready for this game.
This matchup isn’t as big of a deal now that South Carolina fell to Arkansas 44-30, but it still has massive implications because it is an SEC East showdown. These two teams are each looking for their first conference win.
Georgia will look to stay on top of the AP Poll, while South Carolina will look to end the Dawgs’ glory before it gets started.
Last year the Dawgs beat South Carolina 40-13 in Athens, giving them a two-game winning streak over the Gamecocks.
Georgia now leads the series 53-19 overall, but the Gamecocks have some confidence in Spencer Rattler and company. Head coach Shane Beamer is looking to get his first win over his former boss, but it’s hard to suggest that will happen.
The Dawgs’ head coach Kirby Smart was quite disappointed in Georgia’s Week 2 performance, so folks could see this program take it to another level this week. Practice will be physical, and Smart will demand the best of this team if they want to remain No.1 overall.
This game is tricky for Georgia, and while it should be a victory, it is one the Dawgs cannot overlook.
Georgia Football vs. South Carolina Gamecocks odds for Week 3:
After another blowout win, Georgia is currently a 24.5-point favorite over South Carolina on FanDuel. The spread line has the Dawgs at -108 and the Gamecocks at -112. So if you bet $100 on the spread in Georgia’s favor, you’d win $92.59, but if you bet it in South Carolina’s favor, you’d win 89.29
If your preference is picking the game straight-up and betting the money line, it currently lists South Carolina at +1,280, while Georgia now sits at -3,500. So if you were to throw down $100 on the Gamecocks for the money line, you would win $1,280. If you did the same for Georgia, someone would only win $2.86.
FanDuel has the over/under at 50.5 points, with the Dawgs at -105 and the Gamecocks at -115. So if betting on the over/under is more your speed, throwing down $100 for the Dawgs would result in $95.24, and if you did the same for the Gamecocks, it would be $86.96.
Georgia Football vs. South Carolina Gamecocks prediction for Week 3:
This game is tough to gauge because it always seems like such a tricky matchup. Sometimes it’s a blowout, and other times it’s tighter and a brand-new pair of jeans. While I think Georgia will come out on top, this 24.5-point spread is a tad intimidating.
Yes, the Dawgs beat South Carolina by 27 points in 2021, but it isn’t the same team. The offense is similar, but that Georgia defense is still young. Despite being No.1 in the country in scoring defense at 1.5 points a game, the Gamecocks could put up some points.
Do I think Georgia could win in a shootout against the Gamecocks? Yes, starting quarterback Stetson Bennett is much more confident than Rattler is right now, and I’d trust him with anything to lead Georgia to a victory.
Could Georgia’s defense rise to the occasion and do something special as they have in the first two weeks? It’s possible, but this is a tough SEC road test with a hostile crowd— it could go either way.
Among the odds, that under/over speaks to me the most because this game should feature a lot of points. Georgia could cover the spread, but I think the under/over is a safer bet.
If you like to take a risk, picking the Dawgs to cover the spread and for it to go over 50.5-points, then this is the game to do it because Georgia could flat-out dominate the Gamecocks.
Georgia should come out of Columbia 3-0, but it’ll be interesting to see how many points they give up and if this offense will look as good as it did against Oregon. If we had to predict a score, Georgia will win this one 45-17 and leave Columbia undefeated and still No.1 in the country.