The second semi-final game of the college football playoffs will be played on Saturday, December 31, and here you can check out the best Buckeyes vs. Bulldogs betting pick and odds.

Ohio State and Georgia will be fighting for a place in the college football playoff finals when they meet at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Bulldogs are -6.5 favorites on BookMaker Sportsbook, while the total is set at 62 points. These non-conference rivals will meet for the first time.

Buckeyes lost to the Wolverines and failed to reach the Big Ten Championship game

The Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1-0, 5-6-1 ATS) needed just one more win to finish the regular season unbeaten and reach the Big Ten Championship game, but they came across the Michigan Wolverines, who easily beat them. After a tied first half, the Buckeyes allowed 28 second-half points and scored only three in return as Michigan deservedly won 45-23.

C.J. Stroud completed 31 of 48 passes for 349 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Emeka Egbuka led the Buckeyes with 125 receiving yards and a touchdown on nine receptions, while Marvin Harrison Jr. added 120 yards and a score on seven catches. On the ground, Chip Trayanum led Ohio State with 83 yards on 14 carries. Defensively, Tommy Eichenberg led the team with seven tackles.

RB TreVeyon Henderson will miss the rest of the season after having foot surgery.

Bulldogs beat LSU in the SEC Championship Game

The Georgia Bulldogs (13-0-0, 7-6-0 ATS) finished the season as one of only two undefeated teams (Michigan) after defeating the LSU Tigers in the SEC Championship Game to win their 16th conference title. The Bulldogs will have a chance to defend their national title and fight for the 4th in the program’s history if they beat the Buckeyes and reach the playoff finals. Georgia did allow a season-high 30 points against LSU but scored 50 on the other end. It all started with Christopher Smith’s field goal block which resulted in a 96-yard return for a touchdown. The Bulldogs committed one turnover and forced three in return.

Stetson Bennett was impressive as he completed 23 of 29 passes for 274 yards and four touchdowns. Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey combined for 150 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 11 catches, while Darnell Washington and Dillon Bell also scored receiving touchdowns. Kendall Milton posted a game-high 113 rushing yards on eight attempts, but Kenny McIntosh scored a couple of touchdowns. Georgia had four sacks opposite LSU’s zero, while Javon Bullard and Smael Mondon Jr. led the team in tackles with six apiece.

TE Ladd McConkey is dealing with knee tendinitis, and it is unclear if he will be available for the Peach Bowl against Ohio State.

Trends:

Ohio State:

  • 2-6 ATS in the last eight non-conference games
  • 1-4 ATS in the last five games overall
  • 1-5 ATS in the last six neutral site games

Georgia:

  • 8-2 ATS in the last ten Bowl games
  • 4-1 ATS in the last five neutral site games
  • 23-9 ATS in the last 32 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game

Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Georgia Bulldogs Pick

We will have quite intriguing clash between the second-best offense and second-best defense in the country. Ohio State is averaging 44.5 points per game, while Georgia is allowing 12.8 ppg, and considering that defenses win championships, I am going with the Bulldogs in this one. I have to note that the Buckeyes also have a rock-solid D that surrenders 19.3 ppg, but the Bulldogs are not bad on offense with 38.7 ppg. I expect a one-score duel that could go either way, but I am backing Georgia to stay alive in its title-defense campaign.

Pick: Take the Bulldogs at -5.5 (-133)

The Total

Michigan managed to keep the Buckeyes to 23 points in the Big Ten Championship game, and I am backing Georgia to do the same on Saturday. I am going with the Bulldogs to limit Ohio State to below 28 points, which will likely be enough for a win. Only one team scored more than 22 points against Georgia this year and it was LSU in the previous game. Under is 5-0 in the Bulldogs’ last five Bowl games; Under is 4-1-1 in Georgia’s previous six non-conference games, while Under is 10-4-2 in the Bulldogs’ last 16 neutral site games.

Pick: Go Under 63.5 points (-130)