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Are the Georgia Bulldogs a True Betting Contender this 2017 Season?
The first question that Georgia has to answer is who will be throwing the ball. Jacob Eason returns as the incumbent starter, but Jake Fromm, a true freshman, will push him hard for that spot. I see Eason holding onto the job and Fromm putting on the redshirt, if only to give Fromm more years to play for Smart. But the competition will make Eason better as a starting quarterback. Nick Chubb returns to carry the ball for the Bulldogs, joined by Sony Michel as a Bulldog offense that loves to pound the ball will have two featured tailbacks. D’Andre Swift, Elijah Holyfield and Brian Herrien will also get time carrying the ball, but Chubb and Michel are a solid 1-2 punch. Losing Isaiah Mackenzie at the wide receiver spot hurts, but Jeremiah Holloman is enrolling early and will join the team, and Mark Webb comes to Georgia and should also pile up the catches.Work hard, play hard. Our newcomers end the summer on a high note.#CommitToTheG / #ATD pic.twitter.com/Rh1QG14f7N
— Georgia Football (@FootballUGA) July 18, 2017
How Are the Offense and Defense Looking Like This Season?
The offensive line will have some question, with just three returning starters. Ben Cleveland will slide into one of the starting slots, and there are six other newcomers coming in who will fill the gaps — but can they build chemistry quickly enough to contend? D’Marcus Hayes, a JUCO transfer, and true freshman Isaiah Wilson are projected to take the other two starting slots. This is a young line, but it will also be a deep one. On defense, the Bulldogs lost four key starters — including both safeties. Quincy Mauger and Maurice Smith left as well. Deangelo Gibbs and Richard Lecounte III should slide in and take those spots. The defensive line was green last year — but this year they will be deep and experienced, led by Malik Herring and Robert Beal, perhaps the best pair of defensive ends in the SEC. If the paper plan works out, the defense will be the strength of this team.
Does the Schedule Benefit the Team?
As far as the schedule goes, the SEC East is really the easier path to the conference championship game. Georgia has six home games (Appalachian State and Samford as their non-conference tomato cans and then Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina and Kentucky). On the road they face Notre Dame, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Auburn and Georgia Tech in a late-season non-conference rivalry game. They also play Florida in a neutral site, down the road in Jacksonville. Mississippi State has slid back to the basement of the SEC West now that Dak Prescott has gone on to the Dallas Cowboys. Missouri is projected to keep their spot at the bottom of the SEC East standings. South Carolina looked better under Will Muschamp last year, but they’re still a season or two away from reaching the heights they found under Steve Spurrier. Kentucky will put up a fight but ultimately lacks the talent to take down Georgia, especially on the road. Notre Dame will be an interesting question, but with Deshone Kizer now in the NFL, it will be interesting to see how the Irish cobble together an offense. Tennessee and Auburn will be the real road tests, as the Volunteers will want to make this season their statement about contending in the conference. Auburn will bring an ironclad defense of their own. Georgia Tech should be a win for the Bulldogs, but rivalry games tend to run down to the wire. When Georgia faces Florida, you’ll have two stout defenses meeting on the field, which should be a real grinder out of an outcome (a type of game where I usually take the under).Latest Georgia Bulldogs Betting Trends
- Odds to Win the 2018 Championship: +1800
- Odds to Win SEC Conference: +580
- 2017-18 Regular Season Wins: O 8½ -135 / U 8½ +105
