Notre Dame vs. Georgia opening odds: Date, time, point spread and total for Sugar Bowl, CFP quarterfinal

The first victory of the new 12-team College Football Playoff goes to Notre Dame, as Marcus Freeman and the Irish blasted Indiana at home in South Bend to advance on to the quarterfinal. Their reward? A date with No. 2 seed Georgia, which earned a first-round bye after outlasting Texas in a classic SEC Championship Game earlier this month.

After a dominant performance against the Hoosiers, Notre Dame won't be scared of anybody. The Irish defensive front manhandled the nation's top scoring offense, while Jeremiyah Love and Co. outrushed Indiana 193-63. Notre Dame was the physically superior team from the opening snap, but now the competition ratchets up considerably against one of the most talented teams in the country. Which of these two teams is installed as the early favorite? The early spread and total have been released, so let's break it all down.

How to watch the Sugar Bowl between Notre Dame, Georgia

Time: Jan. 1, 8:45 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, La.

Opening odds, point spread, total for Notre Dame-Georgia

According to FanDuel, Notre Dame opened up as 1.5-point favorites. However, the spread quickly flipped, and UGA became a 1.5-point favorite. There was also movement with the total, which opened at 46.5 before dropping to 45.5.

The big unknown looming over this game is Georgia's QB situation, as redshirt sophomore Gunner Stockton is set to start for the Dawgs with Carson Beck unavailable due to an arm injury suffered in the conference title game against Texas. (Beck is likely out for the rest of Georgia's season, with Smart saying earlier this week that his quarterback is still weighing surgical options.)

Of course, Stockton still did just enough to lead Georgia to a dramatic OT win over Texas in Atlanta, completing 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards (albeit with one brutal interception). And when this Georgia team is rolling, they're commanding on both lines of scrimmage, capable of bullying just about anyone in the country. Even with Beck out, you can understand why Vegas would consider the Dawgs a slight favorite, especially considering that we still haven't seen Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard succeed when pressed against a great defense.

Still, an essential pick 'em here feels about right, considering how stout both of these defenses are and how battled tested these teams have proven themselves to be.