Last year didn't end exactly how the Georgia Bulldogs and Kirby Smart had hoped. Despite securing yet another SEC Championship game, the Dawgs fell short of expectations in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoffs.
This year, Georgia is once again expected to be one of the top teams in the conference and is currently projected to easily surpass their first SEC opponent of the season.
After facing the Marshall Thundering Herd and the Austin Peay Governors in Weeks 1 and 2, the Bulldogs will take a trip to Knoxville to visit the Tennessee Volunteers. Currently, Georgia is projected to defeat the Vols by more than a touchdown, according to Vegas oddsmakers.
Spread, total, and moneyline for Georgia at Tennessee
- Spread: - 7.5 Georgia
- Total: +/- 50.5
- Moneyline: -285 Georgia, +230 Tenneessee
Despite Josh Heupel's success with the Volunteers, the Dawgs are expected to travel to Tennessee and defeat the home team by seven and a half points, with the points total only reaching 50.5 by the end of the game.
Last season, when Georgia hosted Tennessee in Athens, the Bulldogs walked away with a resounding 31-17 victory, which had been desperately needed after their embarrassing 10-point performance against the Ole Miss Rebels the week before.
Rocky Top isn't an easy place for teams to visit and head home with a victory in their back pocket. Last year, the Vols went undefeated at home, toppling teams who came to town like NC State, Florida, and Alabama.
However, despite the raucousness that can come along with visiting Knoxville, the Bulldogs are expected to fly home with a relatively comfortable win to their names, starting their SEC schedule with a 1-0 record.
When the Dawgs last visited the Volunteers (in 2023), Smart and his squad earned an impressive 38-10 victory over UT. Georgia and Tennessee are scheduled to kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 13. The game will be aired on ABC.