College Football: Best Bets for Clemson at Georgia

Week 1 of the college football season is finally here, and there are a handful of intriguing matchups taking place over the upcoming weekend. On Saturday, we have two ranked teams squaring off with the No. 14 Clemson Tigers traveling to face the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs.

There are plenty of question marks surrounding the Tigers entering the 2024 campaign as Clemson is coming off a 9-4 season in 2023, which was the fewest wins in the Dabo Swinney era since 2010. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are looking to avenge their loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC title game a season ago, preventing them from having a chance of winning three consecutive national championships under head coach Kirby Smart.

By using the college football odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, let's take a look at the best bets for Saturday's showdown between Clemson and Georgia that begins at 12 p.m. ET.

All college football odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Clemson at Georgia Betting Picks

Georgia Total Points: Over 30.5 (-120)

Clemson fielded a formidable defense last season that surrendered the 29th-fewest points per game (21.08) and 8th-fewest total yards per game (287.8). That being said, playing against primarily ACC teams -- and a couple of average SEC teams to finish the year -- is vastly different than having to slow down Georgia on the road in a vital game for both teams.

The Bulldogs are the No. 1 ranked team entering the season for a reason as quarterback Carson Beck is returning for his fifth year with the program. Beck is coming off a 2023 campaign where he threw for 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns while completing an efficient 72.4% of his passes.

While Beck won't have Brock Bowers or Ladd McConkey to target in the passing game, Georgia has a versatile receiver room that has four players returning from last year's group. Additionally, the Bulldogs landed Vanderbilt transfer London Humphreys, who was the third-best transfer wideout, according to 247sports.

Even with uncertainty surrounding the status of transfer running back Trevor Etienne for Saturday's clash, Georgia averaged the fifth-most points per game (40.1) last year, and they produced 42.7 points per game across their seven home contests in 2023. With Smart's squad looking to make a statement to begin the year, the defense will put the offense in plenty of advantageous spots to put up 31-plus points in their season opener.

Georgia -12.5 (-105)

Traveling to face an angry Georgia team in a hostile environment is a tall task for a Clemson team that has plenty of question marks at multiple positions. Quarterback Cade Klubnik will be starting for the second straight year for the Tigers, and he was unimpressive in 2023, finishing with 2,844 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions while completing only 63.9% of his throws.

Both teams deploy physical defenses, so this matchup could be decided in the trenches. Even though the Bulldogs don't have an abundance of potential NFL studs along the defensive front -- outside of Mykel Williams -- it's tough to bet against them figuring things out as the season progresses.

Clemson could be slightly better than they were a year ago, and they certainly have a chance to compete for the ACC title in 2024. But the Tigers came out flat in the season opener on the road against the Duke Blue Devils last season, losing the Week 1 ACC matchup 28-7, and they no longer have Will Shipley in the backfield or Nate Wiggins in the secondary.

Across their five road contests in 2023, Clemson went 2-3 against the spread (ATS), with losses to Duke, Miami (FL) Hurricanes, and North Carolina State Wolfpack. Is this year's Tigers team drastically better where they can compete with arguably the best team in college football? That remains to be seen.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.