Predictions, Odds, and Spread for the Georgia vs Texas SEC Championship Game

• The #5 Georgia Bulldogs are a 2.5-point favorite over the #2 Texas Longhorns in the SEC Championship Game (December 7)
• The Longhorns boast the nation’s top pass defense
• Check out the Georgia vs Texas early prediction, odds, and spread, below

The #5 Georgia Bulldogs and #2 Texas Longhorns both appear to be playoff bound, but first they must decide the SEC Championship, which will grant the winner a first-round by in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff bracket. The Bulldogs trounced the Longhorns in this same matchup a month and a half ago, and online sportsbooks expect a repeat performance in the latest college football odds.

Georgia vs Texas Odds

This game opened as a pick’em but quickly shot up to Georgia -2.5. Some books even moved to -3, but sharp money pounced, pushing the number back down below a field goal. Total-wise, the number is also on the way down per the college football public betting splits. The over/under opened at 50.5, but now sits at 49.

Odds as of December 2 (12 pm ET) at Caesars Sportsbook. Be sure to check out the best Caesars Sportsbook promos before betting on NCAAF games this week.

Kickoff for the SEC Championship Game is set for 4 pm ET from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, in Atlanta, GA, with ABC providing the broadcast coverage.

Breaking Down the Bulldogs Love

The winner of this game will earn the number two seed and a first-round bye in the college football playoff odds. Recency bias is a major reason why the line is moving in Georgia’s direction, as bettors have already seen them dominate this Longhorns squad.

Texas was unable to generate much offense versus Georgia in their October meeting, and managed only 17 points in last week’s rivalry win over Texas A&M. Starting QB Quinn Ewers is still battling an ankle sprain, and his play was pedestrian versus the Aggies.

TEXAS. GEORGIA.

ROUND 2 IN THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP 🏆 pic.twitter.com/grgXjiXUFI

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) December 1, 2024

He committed multiple red zone turnovers and threw for only 218 yards. Texas leaned hard on their ground game to compensate, and that could be the key to taking down Georgia – more on that later.

While the Longhorns struggled to score, the Bulldogs lived in the end zone versus Georgia Tech. They squeaked by their in-state rival 44-42 in an eight overtime thriller, amassing 405 yards in the process.

Carson Beck has now strung together three impressive starts, posting an 11-to-0 TD-to-INT rate, en route to a trio of victories. He’s led Georgia to an average of 45 points per outing during that stretch, posting a passer rating north of 150.0 in each contest.

Why There’s Value on Texas

The problem for the Bulldogs has been their defense. Gone are the days when Georgia could suffocate its opponent. These days they’re trending towards the bottom of the conference, and are having trouble just getting stops.

The Bulldogs rank ninth in the conference in yards allowed and run defense, and seventh in scoring D. They allowed 226 rushing yards two weeks ago versus UMass, and then 260 yards on the ground to Georgia Tech.

Georgia SEC Defensive Ranks

With Ewers operating at less than 100%, the Longhorns will lean run heavy, just like they did versus A&M. Quintrevion Wisner rushed for 186 yards in the victory, a week after pounding the rock for 156 yards against a good Kentucky team.

On the other side of the ball, the Longhorns bring one of the nation’s best defenses into Atlanta. Only Ohio State allows fewer points and yards per game, and no program is better against the pass.

Georgia vs Texas Early Prediction

Given how much Georgia loves to air it out, and the perceived matchup advantage for the Longhorns on the ground, we can’t expect the +2.5’s on Texas to last long.

Casual bettors will look back to the Bulldogs earlier win in this matchup, but that’s a mistake. The Longhorns turned the ball over a season-high four times, gifting Georgia short fields, which they capitalized on. The Bulldogs aren’t likely to be so fortunate this time around, and will have to grind for every point.

Texas held Beck to just passing 173 yards and 4.3 yards per attempt in their first meeting, and while that sounds like an outlier, that’s right in line with their season long stats.

Expect Longhorns money to come in as the week progresses, moving this line back closer to where it opened. Take the value on Texas now at +2.5.

• Georgia vs Texas Early Pick: Texas +2.5 (-110)

The highly anticipated SEC Championship Game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas Longhorns is set to take place on Saturday, December 4th. Both teams have had impressive seasons thus far, with Georgia boasting a 11-1 record and Texas coming in at 9-3.

Heading into this matchup, the odds and spread are favoring the Georgia Bulldogs. According to sportsbooks, Georgia is currently listed as a 6.5-point favorite over Texas. This means that in order for bettors to win on a Georgia bet, the Bulldogs must win by at least 7 points. On the other hand, Texas bettors would win if the Longhorns either win the game outright or lose by less than 7 points.

In terms of predictions for the game, many experts are leaning towards Georgia coming out on top. The Bulldogs have one of the top defenses in the country, allowing just 10.8 points per game. Their offense is also potent, led by quarterback Stetson Bennett and running back Zamir White. Texas, on the other hand, has had a solid season but has struggled at times against top competition.

One key factor to watch in this game will be how each team’s defense performs against the opposing offense. Georgia’s defense has been dominant all season, while Texas has shown flashes of brilliance but has also had some inconsistencies. If Georgia can shut down Texas’ offense and control the game with their own offense, they should be able to come out on top.

Overall, the SEC Championship Game between Georgia and Texas is shaping up to be an exciting matchup. With Georgia favored to win and experts predicting a Bulldogs victory, it will be interesting to see how the game plays out on Saturday. Fans can expect a hard-fought battle between two talented teams vying for conference supremacy.