College Football National Championship: Georgia vs TCU Betting Preview

​​​​SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA – 7:30 PM EST – Monday 9th January

Georgia Bulldogs vs TCU Horned Frogs Betting Odds

Georgia Moneyline: -500
TCU Moneyline: +375
Spread: Georgia -13: -110
Points Total: 63.5 (Over: -110 | Under: -110)

Georgia is looking to become the first team in the CFP era to win back-to-back national titles tonight. They come up against a TCU team that nobody predicted would be even close to competing for a national championship in Sonny Dykes’ first year as head coach, and are huge favorites to beat the Horned Frogs. 

The semi-finals were by far the most entertaining we’ve seen since the playoff expanded to four teams, with both teams coming off high-scoring thrillers. Georgia produced a stunning comeback in the Peach Bowl, scoring 18 fourth-quarter points, including a last-minute touchdown to take the lead against an inspired Ohio State team. If the Buckeye’s kicker had better accuracy as the new year rolled in, we would be seeing them in the CFP final and not the Bulldogs, but alas fate was on Georgia’s side, and they won the game 42-41.

TCU shocked Michigan 51-45 in their semi-final thanks to some inspired play from quarterback Max Duggan and future first-round receiver Quentin Johnston. At almost every turn this season fans of college football have been betting against the Horned Frogs and have been proved wrong (almost) every time. Dykes inherited a talented roster for his first season for sure, and even the most positive TCU fans would have said an eight or nine win season would have been a great success, but they have gone far beyond those expectations, and have made it to the big dance to prove they are the best team in the sport.

Frogs vs. Dawgs#CFBPlayoff | #Nationalchampionship | #GoFrogs | #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/L8ReDCbaZd

— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) January 9, 2023

Georgia is unsurprisingly a huge favorite to win, with Vegas having the spread at a massive 13 points, and a TCU win would undoubtedly be the biggest upset in a title game in the CFP era, but TCU has been here before, not least in their last game against Michigan. 

Both quarterbacks on show were finalists for the Heisman, and this game will be won and lost by their performances. Stetson Bennett has shown he is a reliable, steady quarterback who can run Kirby Smart’s offense proficiently, without ever looking truly elite, while Max Duggan has led TCU’s national title charge with some special moments along the way. Duggan has proved to be a gritty competitor, willing his team to close wins with some clutch moments, and his favourite target Johnston may well be the best offensive player on show in the entire game. Georgia’s defense is the best in the nation, and will definitely cause Duggan some problems. If TCU is to have a sniff at winning this game, Duggan will have to put in one of the best performances of his career. 

Georgia vs TCU Picks

Moneyline: Georgia
Spread: TCU +13
Over/Under: Over

I want to say TCU will win, I really, really do. The Horned Frogs have been an amazing story and winning the title here would be an amazing end to the season, but I am a big subscriber to the ‘stars matter’ mantra, and I believe Georgia just has too much talent on both sides of the ball for TCU. 

The status of Kendre Miller is huge for TCU. The future NFL running back is nursing a knee injury, with his status questionable and reports claiming he is 50-50 to play. He is one of three big difference makers for TCU and helps take the pressure off Duggan and Johnston.

As we mentioned in the semi-final preview, if one side of the ball for Georgia doesn’t show up, the other does and bails them out. We saw that against Ohio State in the Peach Bowl, when the offense still found a way to win the game after the defense gave up 41 to CJ Stroud. There have been close calls for Georgia throughout the season, but when in trouble, they’ve found a way to win. 

Even if MIller is missing or is not at 100%, this TCU offense will have their moments and cause the Bulldogs trouble, and the spread is awfully large, especially for a National Title game. But Georgia has been here before, they know how to win these games, and have one of the strongest rosters we’ve seen since the introduction of the College Football Playoff. Whilst everyone is hoping for an upset, it’s likely we’ll see Kirby Smart and Georgia go back-to-back.