The NCAAF season continues and reaches the business end now as the pre-season favorites Georgia Bulldogs face a potential elimination game when they host the Tennessee Volunteers this weekend.
In what has been a rather unpredictable campaign in 2024, Georgia have already been beaten twice and another defeat could see them fall by the wayside in the playoff race in what would be a huge shock. On the other hand, Tennessee currently sits at the standings in the Big 12, and another win would almost certainly secure their spot in the post-season.
We'll take a look at the match up between the two sides and provide you with our best free NCAAF betting picks to try and earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the field.
Learn more about how to bet on the NCAAF here.
Georgia Bulldogs v Tennessee Volunteers information
- Saturday, November 16th 2024
- 19:30 ET kick-off
- Sanford Stadium, Athens, Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs season so far
Georgia came into the new season as the favorites to many to be crowned national champions, and they started in fantastic fashion with three consecutive victories.
A 34-3 win over Clemson started their campaign in week 1, before a more dominant 48-3 win in week 2 over Tennessee Tech. Week 3 saw them keep their No.1 rank with a super close 13-12 win over Kentucky on the road, and then they suffered a surprise 41-34 defeat to No.4 Alabama in week 4 in front of 100,000+ fans.
They bounced back with four consecutive wins after that loss though, with some impressive performances in the process too. A 31-13 win over Auburn came in week 5, before Mississippi State put up a good fight but ultimately fell to a 41-31 defeat. A huge 30-15 win over No.1 ranked Texas followed before a 34-20 win over Florida, but last time out the team travelled to Ole Miss and suffered a heavy 28-10 defeat that have left their playoff hopes hanging by a thread.
Tennessee Volunteers season so far
NCAAF Picks: Tennessee Volunteers +9.5 @ -105
It's quite crazy that the top team in the country so far this season are such huge underdogs for this game, and it makes for a great value bet as a result.
Georgia and Kirby Smart know this is a must-win game, and the home crowd will know that too. It won't be easy to overcome that mental challenge for Tennessee, but they clearly have the quality in their team to get the job done.
Quarterback Carson Beck will be without Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey and that has made things more difficult for him this season. Beck has thrown nine interceptions over his last three games and struggled to maintain a 60% passing completion rating during that stretch. Georgia are starting to doubt him, and that's something Tennessee can take advantage of.
The Volunteers' defense has posted some special performances this season too. In all their games so far this season they haven't conceded more than 20 points and if Georgia are to find a win they will have to smash past that total.
The blueprint to beat Georgia is there for Tennessee, but more importantly for this bet, the blueprint to restrict them is there. With essentially a 10 point headstart, this is a fantastic value bet and is easily the one that makes the most sense.
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NCAAF Picks: Under 48.5 total match points @ -110
In college football points are usually quite easy to come by, but when the top teams play each other in these circumstances, defense always comes first.
Two of the last three games Georgia has played have gone Under, three of the previous four games that Tennessee has played have gone Under, and two straight head-to-head meetings between these two teams have gone Under. That's all positive signs.
Nico Lamaleava sits 55th nationally in QBR and we've already mentioned the troubles Beck is having on the other side. That also contributes towards the Under landing.
Both defenses are playing well and both offensive setups are struggling. In a must-win environment Georgia will want to ensure there are no crazy moments, and Tennessee will be looking to keep the crowd as quiet as possible too. The Under makes the most sense by a mile.
