The third-ranked Georgia Bulldogs (12-1) and No. 3 Michigan Wolverines (12-1) hook up for a College Football Playoff semifinal Friday in the Orange Bowl. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Below, we look at the Georgia vs. Michigan odds and lines, and make our expert college football picks, predictions and bets.
Starting with a 10-3 victory over Clemson, Georgia ran off 12 consecutive wins before losing to one-loss Alabama 41-24 in the SEC Championship Game. This is the Bulldogs’ second appearance in the CFP semifinals. Their first trip was in 2017-18 season when they beat Oklahoma 54-48 in double overtime in the Rose Bowl before losing to Alabama 26-23 in overtime in the title game.
Michigan finds itself in its first College Football Playoffs. The Wolverines opened the season 7-0 before falling at in-state rival Michigan State 37-33. They rebounded nicely by winning their next five games, including victories at Penn State (21-17), vs. then-No. 2 Ohio State (42-27) and vs. Iowa (42-3) in the Big Ten Championship.
Reports broke Wednesday that DB Daxton Hill, Michigan’s second-leading tackler, was not with the team in Miami and his status is questionable as of Thursday afternoon.
Rankings courtesy of the AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Georgia vs. Michigan odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 2:30 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Georgia -340 (bet $340 to win $100) | Michigan +260 (bet $100 to win $260)
- Against the spread (ATS): Georgia -7.5 (-110) | Michigan +7.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 44.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
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Georgia vs. Michigan odds, lines, picks and predictions
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Prediction
Michigan 20, Georgia 17
Money line
BACK MICHIGAN (+260) with a HALF-UNIT wager even if Hill doesn’t play. The Wolverines really turned it up a notch after their lone loss to Michigan State.
They went 5-0 straight up and 5-0 ATS after the defeat, outscored opponents 193-72 and delivered head coach Jim Harbaugh his first win in six tries against Ohio State.
After beating the arch-rival Buckeyes, would there be a letdown in the Big Ten title game?
Nope. They only spanked Iowa 42-3.
Michigan is cookin’ and a fantastic bargain at +260.
Against the spread
ATS records: Georgia 8-5 | Michigan 11-2
MICHIGAN +7.5 (-110) is the STRONGEST PLAY – usually 1½ times your typical wager.
However, since we’re backing Michigan’s ML for a half unit, just BET a FULL UNIT on the spread … or divvy up the 1½ units between the two plays anyway you see fit.
RB Hassan Haskins ran for 169 yards and tied a Michigan record with 5 rushing touchdowns against Ohio State. Look for the Wolverines to employ the same ground attack in this semifinal, but it won’t be easy. The Georgia defense ranks fourth in the county in rushing yards allowed per game (82.2).
Over/Under
O/U records: Georgia 6-7 | Michigan 7-6
UNDER 44.5 (-105) is the way to go as both defenses rank in the top four in the nation.
The Bulldogs defense allowed 9.5 points per game (PPG) to lead the NCAA. It held eight of its 13 opponents below 10 points, including three shutouts.
The Wolverines defense surrendered 16.1 PPG to rank fourth. It only allowed 18 points or more four times in its 13 games.
The Under is also 6-1 in Georgia’s last six bowl games as a favorite.
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| JOHNNY’S RECORD | W-L | SP | ROI |
| Since July 8 | 88-60 | 36-22 | +24.27 |
| 2021 NCAA football | 10-2 | 5-0 | +8.62 |
| *–SP: Strongest plays; ROI: Return on investment | |||
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