Oregon vs. Georgia Prediction: Bo Nix has a Tough Test Against Georgia's Defense... Again

This is one of the best opening weekends in College football in a long time. Maybe ever. The amount of ranked matchups is incredible and this one of the best ones. No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 11 Oregon at Mercedes Benz Stadium is going to be a great appetizer for Notre Dame and Ohio State later that night. 

Oregon has a new head coach, with Dan Lanning the former defensive coordinator at Georgia taking over the Ducks. Will he have a few tricks up his sleeve against his former team?

Let’s see how the reigning national champions will fare in Week 1 of 2022. Can Oregon pull off the upset or is Georgia a true powerhouse once again? 

Oregon vs. Georgia Odds, Spread and Total

Oregon vs. Georgia Odds, Spread and Total Movement in Week 1

The odds have shifted minimally in this game. Earlier in the week, Georgia was a 16.5-point favorite and the total was 53. Both numbers have shifted half a point. As for the moneyline, Oregon has gone from a +500 moneyline underdog to a +575 underdog.

Oregon vs. Georgia Best Bet and Prediction

Not only is Lanning taking over as the head coach, but the Ducks have even more of an SEC flare with former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix starting Week 1. This isn’t the best matchup of quarterbacks with Nix and Stetson Bennett returning to Georgia, but if they are both willing to be game managers and get the ball to playmakers they can succeed. 

Georgia still has plenty of playmakers even though they lost both of their star running backs from a year ago. Kirby Smart just reloads and they certainly have the best group of tight ends in the country with Arik Gilbert and Brock Bowers. The Georgia offense should be fine and I have much more faith in Bennett to protect the ball than I do in Nix. 

Oregon’s offensive line should be good thanks to Cristobal’s time there, but at the skill positions they have a lot of moving parts. They will have to rely on transfers for a lot fo production. 

Georgia’s defense lost a ton of talent to the NFL and will not be historically great like a year ago, but with Jalen Carter leading an elite defensive line they will be able to slow down Nix like they did last year. Nix went 21-for-38 for 217 yards and an interception against Georgia last season. Despite the change of scenery I don’t think he can manage much more this time around. 

Lanning’s defense should be able to keep Georgia’s offense in check as they figure out their new weapons making the under very enticing. 

Pick: UNDER 53.5 (-110)

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