Feeling Snubbed, Florida St. Readies for Georgia in Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl Football Odds: Georgia Up to 14-Point Favorite
The Orange Bowl kicks off this December, 30th. We’ve got the latest updates on lines, injuries, departures and weather right here:
Georgia opened as a commanding 13-point favorite, but with several of Florida State’s key starters either hurt or planning to sit out, that number’s grown considerably in recent weeks. In fact, it had ballooned to -20 as of Thursday afternoon, making Georgia easily the biggest favorite of bowl season.
The latest jump comes after quarterback Tate Rodemaker, who replaced star Jordan Travis, announced his plans to transfer. Rodemaker threw for 134 yards in a win over rival Florida and finished the season with 510 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions.
But after sitting out the ACC Championship Game with a concussion, Rodemaker now finds himself in the NCAA transfer portal. Freshman Brock Glenn, who struggled in his place, will draw another start.
The unbeaten Seminoles will also be without running back Trey Benson, receiver Johnny Wilson and defensive end Jared Verse, leaving them at a significant disadvantage against Georgia. Tight end Jaheim Bell and defensive tackle Fabien Love are entering the 2024 NFL Draft but have yet to specify their plans for the bowl.
Georgia is also -120 on the moneyline, with Florida State coming in at +800. Meanwhile, the projected total remains steady at 44.5, a slight dip from 45.
Now, check out the rest of the Orange Bowl preview, originally published on December 8.
Oh, what could’ve been. Georgia and Florida State head to the Orange Bowl, believing they deserved so much better after being left out of the College Football Playoff. Emotions are sure to run high when the teams meet on Dec. 30 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
After opening as a heavy 13-point favorite, Georgia is now up to -14. The Bulldogs are also -600 on the moneyline. Florida State, meanwhile, is +14 on the spread and +460 to win outright. The projected total is 44.5, down a smidge from 45.
The Orange Bowl has been played annually since 1935. It’s served as one of the New Year’s Six bowl games in the College Football Playoff since 2014. Last season’s Tennessee defeat Clemson 31-14.
What should bettors expect? Read on as we break down both teams and assess the Orange Bowl football odds.
Orange Bowl
Records: Wisconsin Badgers (7-5) vs LSU Tigers (9-3)
Day/Time:
Location: Hard Rock Stadium; Miami Gardens, Fla.
Streaming: ESPN, ESPN+
No Three-Peat for Georgia
Georgia fell short in its bid for a three-peat, losing 27-24 to Alabama in the SEC Championship. Ultimately, that was enough to leave the Bulldogs out of the College Football Playoff despite a 12-1 record. As such, the Bulldogs fell from No. 1 to No. 6 in the AP poll and also dropped out of the top spot in the CFP.
The Bulldogs find themselves in another New Year’s Six bowl, but that’s little consolation to a team that began the season with championship-or-bust aspirations. They opened as a heavy +375 favorite and were the No. 1 team in the polls all season, only to see everything fall apart in the SEC title game.
Georgia notched some impressive wins along the way, beating the likes of Ole Miss, and Tennessee. The Bulldogs capped the regular season with an 8-0 record in SEC play and ran their to-win streak to a conference-record 29 straight games. That matched the fourth longest streak in the last 50 years at the FBS level.
The Bulldogs were favored in every game, by as few as 5.5 and as many as 51. But they didn’t turn a big profit for bettors, going just 4-8-1 ATS. That includes a 1-4 mark over the last five weeks. They also went Under the projected total in seven of their 13 games.
Statistically, Georgia finished top 10 in both total offense and total defense. The offense averaged 482.9 yards, ranking eighth while scoring 38.4 points per game. Meanwhile, the defense held opponents to an average of 295.2 yards, ranking 10th while allowing only 16.6 points per game. That’s important to when assessing the Orange Bowl football odds.
Departures & Injuries
The Orange Bowl is a bit of a disappointment for Georgia. Inevitably, some players are bound to opt out. The last time Georgia was in this position was in the 2020 Peach Bowl when All-SEC cornerback Eric Stokes decided not to play to preserve his health for the NFL Draft. Head coach Kirby Smart said his conversations with current players are ongoing.
Additionally, seven Bulldogs have already entered the NCAA transfer portal, including backup quarterback Brock Vandagriff.
When Winning Isn’t Enough
Florida State ended up on the wrong side of history, becoming the first undefeated Power Five conference champion to be excluded from the CFP. The Seminoles went 13-0 and won the ACC Championship Game but were the odd team out of the four-team playoff behind fellow unbeaten Michigan and Washington and one-loss teams Texas and Alabama.
Though the Seminoles went undefeated, the selection committee judged them by their injuries at quarterback. Their last two victories came without star Jordan Travis, who broke his leg in the penultimate week of the regular season. In stepped backup Tate Rodemaker, who led the Seminoles to a come-from-behind victory over Florida to move to 12-0 in the Louisville.
Making his first college start, freshman Brock Glenn struggled: 8 of 21 for 55 yards. But the Seminoles did just enough to beat Louisville 16-6, completing their first 13-win season since 2014.
Florida State’s resume is solid, highlighted by a 45-24 beatdown of LSU in the Camping World Kickoff in Orlando, Fla. The Seminoles also scored victories over Duke in ACC play.
The Seminoles went 8-5 ATS, including 2-0 as an underdog. Notably, they covered the spread in both games without Travis. They were also 7-6 against the Over/Under, but just 1-4 over the last five weeks.
Departures & Injuries
The Seminoles will turn back to Rodemaker, assuming he is healthy. While Rodemaker struggled at times against North Alabama and Florida, he’s a considerable upgrade on Glenn.
Receiver Johnny Wilson has already said he won’t play after declaring for the NFL Draft. Wilson had 41 catches for 617 yards and two touchdowns, finishing second on the team in receiving.
Other opt outs are a strong possibility, but the Seminoles have plenty to play for after being snubbed for the CFP. That’s undoubtedly weighing on the minds of some NCAAF players.
Defense Does it for ‘Noles
Georgia finds itself facing one of the country’s most unforgiving defenses. Florida State held opponents to an average of 15.9 points, sixth fewest in FBS. It also ed the third most sacks with 45.
At full strength, Georgia’s capable of beating practically anyone. But the possibility of opt outs looms over this matchup. The Bulldogs’ roster could look markedly different by the time this game kicks off. Be sure to keep that in mind when analyzing the Orange Bowl football odds.
For Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
