The 2023 college football national championship game features the undefeated Georgia Bulldogs facing the TCU Horned Frogs at SoFi Stadium.
The Horned Frogs, who were listed as 400-1 moon shots in championship futures in August, are eager to complete one of the biggest upsets in sports history.
The rubber will meet the road when TCU brings its high-powered sixth-ranked scoring offense (41.1 points per game) into the title game to face off against the country’s No. 2 scoring Georgia defense (12.8 points per game).
Bettors will be treated to two 2022 Heisman trophy finalists battling for supremacy when Max Duggan and Stetson Bennett take the field. This game will likely come down to the talents of two of college football’s most clutch quarterbacks.
Georgia earned a spot in the championship game for the second consecutive year after rallying for a thrilling 42-41 victory over Ohio State in the College Football Playoff (CFP) Semifinal. Despite Georgia’ 14-0 record, bettors have only cashed in on half of those victories at the betting window as the Bulldogs have posted a pedestrian 7-7 against the spread (ATS) mark and just 1-3 over the last four games.
Respected money information from Vegas has posted a 15-11-3 (57.7%) ATS record over the last 29 plays heading into the national title game.
No. 3 TCU vs. No. 1 Georgia College Football Playoff National Championship Odds
Spread: TCU +13 (-110) | Georgia -13 (-110)
Moneyline: TCU (+370) | Georgia (-568)
Total: 62.5– Over (-110) | Under 62.5 (-110)
Public (Spread) Betting Percentages: TCU 68% | UGA 42%
Game Info: Jan. 9, 2023 | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
TCU Straight-Up Record: 13–1
TCU Against the Spread Record: 10–3–1
Georgia Straight-Up Record: 14–0
Georgia Against the Spread Record: 7–7
Bet on TCU-Georgia at SI Sportsbook
TCU vs. Georgia Betting Records and Insights
The line has ticked down since opening in favor of No. 1 Georgia as a 13.5-point favorite against No. 3 TCU at SI Sportsbook to the Bulldogs with a 13-point demand. Georgia has been favored in game by an average of 26 points per game and is a double-digit favorite for the 14th time in 15 games.
Kirby Smart’s club is 32-1 in its last 33 games and has historically been a lucrative team for bettors to back this time of year. The Bulldogs have posted an impressive 9-2 ATS (81.8%) mark over their last 11 bowl appearances.
In last season’s title game, the Bulldogs beat Alabama, 33-18, covering as three-point favorites. On Monday, Georgia looks to become the first repeat champion since Nick Saban and Alabama won consecutive titles back in 2011 and 2012.
TCU Offense vs. Georgia Defense
Duggan kept the Horned Frogs’ magical season alive with yet another outstanding performance in the CFP semifinal upset win over Michigan. Duggan threw for two touchdowns, while adding two more on the ground.
The clutch signal-caller has completed 63.7% of his passes this year, resulting in a stellar 32:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio. TCU’s offensive leader is piloting Sonny Dykes’ attack at a high rate of efficiency, while displaying the ability to be an impressive runner by rushing for eight touchdowns.
The Horned Frogs’ most dynamic weapon in the passing game, wideout Quentin Johnston, was again at the top of his game in the CFP semifinal. The junior hauled in six receptions for a game-high 163 yards and a touchdown. The speedy talent leads the club in receptions (59), receiving yards (1,066) and touchdowns (six).
TCU’s leading rusher Kendre Miller (1,399 yards and 17 touchdowns) suffered a knee injury in the Fiesta Bowl and is questionable for the championship game. Fifth-year senior tailback Emari Demercado stepped up against Michigan with a career-best performance, rushing for 150 yards and a touchdown. Look for Dykes to try to establish the ground game despite a difficult matchup against Georgia’s No. 1 ranked run defense that is surrendering only 77 rushing yards per game.
Bennett, one of the most clutch players in college football, again stepped up on a big stage against Ohio State. The senior signal-caller is 25-1 over his past two seasons as a starter for the Bulldogs and threw for a career-best 398 yards and three touchdowns, while adding an additional score on the ground.
A player proposition wager we suggested last week—the over on Bennett’s market of 1.5 touchdown passes—is once again in play in this matchup.
The Bulldogs’ 18th-ranked rushing attack (207.3 yards per game) is led by a committee of Kenny McIntosh, Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton. The trio has combined for 26 total touchdowns this season and amassed 154 rushing yards against Ohio State. On Monday, Georgia finds a favorable matchup versus a TCU defense that allowed 186 rushing yards and three touchdowns to the Wolverines. The Horned Frogs’ run defense has been a major weakness for the club of late, surrendering 391 yards and five rushing touchdowns over their last two games.
CFP National Championship TCU vs. Georgia Best Bets
Respected money in Vegas is backing TCU for the second straight playoff game to stay within the big number being offered by oddsmakers. After upsetting Michigan as 7.5-point underdogs in the semifinals, a Horned Frogs squad that has covered against the number at 76.9% clip will be out to prove the oddsmakers wrong once again on college football’s biggest stage.
TCU scored a touchdown on red zone possession against Michigan en route to a 51-point performance, while Georgia heads into this contest as the best team in the nation in red zone scoring percentage (.974). The Horned Frogs have played to the over in two of three games as underdogs this season, while the Bulldogs have soared beyond the total in five of their last seven games.
Bets: TCU +13 & Over 62.5 (-114)
