Georgia football: Week 3 best bets and predictions
By Max Tolbert
Georgia football is in week 3 of its schedule, as is the rest of college football. Well, week four if you are a Notre Dame fan. Anyway, it is time again for the weekly picks for college football. Last week was a blood bath. Every pick I had outside of Kansas was absolutely wrong. I figured picking against the Colorado Buffaloes would most likely result in losing. I just did not see myself losing that much on the rest of the picks. As of today, I have a 3-6 record. Pretty bad. If I were coaching and had that record, rumors would be swirling about my job security. But it’s a new week and another chance to win. So, let’s get into a light Week three slate.
LSU vs. Mississippi State (+9.5) over/under 54.5- Ceasers
- Date: September 16, 2023
- Game Time: 12:00 pm
- Venue: Davis-Wade Stadium (Starkville)
- How to Watch: ESPN
- Streaming on fuboTV
This pick has everything to do with external factors, not the two teams playing the game. First off, it is an 11:00 a.m. kick-off time in Mississippi. That is just terrible. Thankfully for us Georgia football fans, we get another hour, and it might not seem important, but it is. They usually say the away team is more prepared for an early kick than the home team. It has something to do with traveling and not sleeping in your bed. Mississippi State is a hard place to play, no matter the time, but especially at 11 a.m. MSU has a decent team this year and will probably be in a decent bowl game. But LSU needs to prove they are not dead in the water. Also, after Alabama’s loss to Texas, LSU must show the SEC West what it can do. Do I like giving up 9.5 points when I bet LSU on the road? No! But I’ll take the Bayou Bengals in this one, and I’ll take the under.
Kansas State vs. Missouri (+3.5) over/under 47.5- Ceasers
- Date: September 16, 2023
- Game Time: 12:00 pm
- Venue: Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field (Columbia, MO)
- How to Watch: SEC Network
- Streaming on fuboTV
Both teams are undefeated. Both teams want to win this game badly. Last year, Mizzou got crushed 40-14 in the Little Apple, Manhattan, Kansas. But this time, they are playing in Columbia, and they are playing at 11 a.m. I do not know much about the Wildcats, but I like their purple and silver uniforms. That look has always been sharp to me. Not many teams can wear purple and pull it off. But I have watched Mizzou. Last week, they struggled with Middle Tennessee, and it was an ugly game. It could’ve been a look-ahead game for the Tigers. I think it was. So, with that, Mizzou is a home underdog, and you never bet against a home dog. Especially this early in the season. So I’ll take Mizzou and the over.
Tenneesse vs. Florida (+6.0) over/under 58.5- Ceasers
- Date: September 16, 2023
- Game Time: 7:00 pm
- Venue: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, AKA The Swamp
- How to Watch: ESPN
- Streaming on fuboTV
First, I dislike both teams greatly. I hate one more than the other, and we all know who that is, but I also dislike Tennessee. I do not care who wins this game; honestly, I want both teams to beat each other up, and it ends in a tie. Florida needs to win this game desperately, or Billy Napier needs to win this game desperately. It feels like Napier is on his last leg as the Gators coach, and he is only in his second season. Tennessee has only won in the Swamp twice in 50 years. Yes, twice! So, for Tennessee, this is a massive game to win. Tennessee has not impressed me much, and Joe Milton looks average so far in two starts. The Vols are the better team and should be able to handle this game easily. But The Swamp for the Vols had been a house of horrors. So, I have no idea really what to make of this point spread. Is the Swamp really worth that many points to only make the Gators 6-point home-dogs? It just does not make any sense. So I’ll go with the better team, even though history says not to do it. I could see Flordia winning this game by a field goal, but I just do not see it outside of that. So give me the Vols and the over. Both teams cannot tackle to save their lives.
So there you have it, folks. This week is not an incredible slate of games; usually, that is when chaos happens. So be on the lookout for some upsets. If you want to take an interesting bet this weekend, take Wyoming and the points against Texas. The Cowboys are 30-point underdogs to Texas this week. Texas is still riding that high of beating Alabama, and it smells like a struggle fest. I will bet on the game, but I did not put it in my official picks because it is such a large spread. Below, you can read my thoughts and predictions for the Georgia football vs. South Carolina game. If you want to bet on the game, take the Dawgs. They should make a statement. Hopefully, this week’s picks are better than last week’s. We need to turn it around; I am losing credibility!