Notre Dame vs. Georgia Picks, Predictions & Player Props: Dawgs Look for Third Natty in Four Years

• Georgia’s two losses were to Alabama and Ole Miss

• Notre Dame won 11 straight games since a second-week loss to NIU

• The winner will face the Penn State/Boise State winner in the semifinal

The No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish are out to take down the dominant power of amateur football, the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff.

The Dawgs’ path to another national championship has been muddied by an injury to starting quarterback Carson Beck, leaving a healthy and physical ND squad ready to tee-off on backup Gunner Stockton. Here, we will dive into our favorite picks for the Notre Dame vs. Georgia CFP showdown.

Notre Dame vs. Georgia Odds

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Notre Dame vs. Georgia Predictions 

Notre Dame shocked the world both with its start and finish to the year. Immediately after knocking off Texas A&M on the road in Week 1, the Irish lost at home to unranked Northern Illinois in one of the largest upsets of the year.

From that point on, Notre Dame was outstanding. Marcus Freeman flexed his coaching acumen and helped his team finish second in points per game (38.8) and third in points allowed per game (13.8). They were also fourth in yards per play allowed (4.4) and 11th in yards per play (6.5). 

The Irish found great success in the turnover department, winning the battle by an average of 1.2 per game. They finished the regular season with four wins over ranked opponents, though none of those teams finished the year ranked in the top 25.

ND finally earned its best marquee victory with a 27-17 win over Indiana that was nowhere near as close as the final score suggested it was. Jeremiah Love and the ground game ran wild for 193 yards and two touchdowns, while Indiana was held to just three points until there were less than 90 seconds on the clock.

The key for the Irish in this game will be quarterback Riley Leonard, who is not widely viewed as a player that is ready to go to the next level. He currently has 2,293 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns, and six interceptions, along with 751 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns.

Leonard’s importance in this matchup will be magnified because of Georgia’s previous struggles defending Georgia Tech, whom they needed eight overtimes to beat in the final week of the regular season. GT QB Haynes King is similar to Leonard in his preferred style of offense, which heavily involves options, quarterback runs, and quick passes.

Speaking of Georgia, it’s tough to evaluate their season without turning to their past as well.

UGA went 4-2 against ranked teams. Its two biggest wins were at No. 1 Texas, and then again against Texas in the SEC Championship Game, both games in which they dominated with their defense.

However, in ranked matchups they were expected to win, they came up short. They also only beat Kentucky by one point and were dragged to eight overtimes by unranked GT.

Without Georgia’s sparkling recent history, this would be concerning—but because of the past, it reinforces the idea that they show up in the biggest moments and are still more comfortable than anyone else at executing within the margins.

All eyes will be on backup QB Stockton in this matchup. His fairly terrible box score from the SEC Championship Game does not match the confidence and sharpness he showed in the game, during which he unexpectedly came off the bench coming out of halftime. 

Weeks of practice with the first-stringers and under the best coach in the sport, Kirby Smart, should help him elevate his level of play in a short window.

UGA’s defense was only 24th in points allowed per game (21.8) but, again, was excellent when it needed to be against tough opponents. It needs a fast start, however, as an offense composed of a backup, some of the most mistake-prone receivers in Power Four football, and the worst starting running back left in the CFP will likely be unable to play from behind consistently.

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Notre Dame vs. Georgia My Pick

• My Pick: Georgia Spread at -1.5 (-110) via FanDuel

This matchup is tough to call. Notre Dame has been much more consistent against lesser competition, while Georgia had higher peaks but more variance in its performances.

Notre Dame is inexperienced in these moments, and Georgia has already proven that it can still play carefree when the chips are pushed to the center of the table. Smart is the best coach in the sport, and we trust him to help deliver a victory. 

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Notre Dame vs. Georgia Best Player Props

Riley Leonard Over 32.5 Rushing Yards (-117 at Caesars Sportsbook)

As we mentioned, Georgia was troubled just recently by Haynes King, who ran 24 times for 110 yards and three touchdowns against the UGA defense. Leonard carried the ball 10.4 times per game and, although he went under in three of his last four, will likely be limited as a passer and forced to run more by UGA’s defense.

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Gunner Stockton Over 13.5 Rushing Yards (-129 at Caesars Sportsbook)

Stockton ran eight times for eight yards in one half of football against Texas. He looked confident in his decision-making and even ran over one of Texas’ defenders during one of his early carries. Notre Dame will likely press up on opposing receivers, which will create running lanes for Stockton if his receivers are covered.

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Jeremiyah Love Anytime Touchdown Scorer (-105 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

Georgia was only 29th in yards allowed per rush attempt and has been gashed by numerous opponents. Love scored at least one touchdown in every game this season and had a 98-yard touchdown run in the first round of the CFP against Indiana.

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How to Watch Notre Dame vs. Georgia

• When: Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 8:45 p.m. ET

• Where: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA

• Where to Watch: ESPN

Notre Dame vs. Georgia Best Promos and Sportsbooks

All major college football betting sites have Georgia favored by one or 1.5 points.

Notre Dame bettors will find the best deal at BetMGM, where they are +1.5 (-105). Georgia bettors will want to turn to DraftKings, where they are -1 (-112).

Our favorite betting promos can be found listed in the table below.

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Notre Dame vs. Georgia Injuries

Notre Dame Injuries

• Rylie Mills (DL) - Out (knee)

• Benjamin Morrison (CB) - Out (hip)

Georgia Injuries

• Carson Beck (QB) - Out (elbow)

• Roderick Robinson (RB) - Out (leg)

• Branson Robinson (RB) - Questionable (leg)

• Brett Thorson (P) - Out (knee)

• Christen Miller (DL) - Questionable (shoulder)

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