Baylor Vs Georgia Predictions

The Sugar Bowl odds have Georgia -3.5 on New Year's day vs. (Photo credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports) Georgia entered the season with national championship dreams. It ends it in New. Game: Georgia Bulldogs vs Baylor Bears Date: Wednesday, January 1, 2020 Sugar Bowl. Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA TV: ESPN Odds/Point Spread: Baylor +7 Total/Over-Under: 41.

2020 Georgia vs Baylor Predictions – Allstate Sugar Bowl Expert Picks: After coming up just short of a SEC title and a spot the College Football Playoff once again, the fifth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs head to the Allstate Sugar Bowl for the second year in a row. Waiting for them will be the seventh-ranked Baylor Bears, who went from 1-11 to 11-2 and a win away from a Big 12 title and spot in the College Football Playoff in the span of two years.

Both teams lean on their defenses to win game. Despite playing in the pass-happy Big 12, the Bears rank 16th in the country in scoring defense and ninth in the country in sacks. Perhaps more importantly, Baylor is tied with Clemson for the second most takeaways in the country. Georgia has been even stingier. The Bulldogs rank second in the country in scoring defense, allowing 12.5 points per game, and they rank fourth in total defense, giving up just 274.2 yards per game. Georgia’s run defense has been particularly impressive, ranking third overall.

Neither side has been dominant on the offense side of the ball, but both teams love to pound the ball on the ground with multiple backs behind strong offensive lines. The Bulldogs have the most explosive back in D’Andre Swift, but he is expected to be a game-time decision as he deals with a shoulder injury. Both Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm and Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer have been reliable, but both fall into the category of reliable game manager. One potential X-factor could be Baylor receiver Denzel Mims, who has become a legitimate big-play weapon.

2020 Georgia vs Baylor Predictions: Allstate Sugar Bowl Expert Picks

Baylor Vs Georgia Predictions Oddsshark

The Bulldogs Win If:

In an era of high-scoring offenses, the Bulldogs remain committed to a run-heavy, defensive-minded approach. Even though Baylor is one of the most defensive-oriented teams in the Big 12, Georgia still needs to avoid getting caught up in a faster-paced, higher-scoring contest. The Bulldogs need to dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, controlling the clock and wearing down Baylor’s defensive front with their power running game and forcing Brewer to make tough throws by putting the Bears in third-and-longs on a routine basis. The Bulldogs also need a clean, solid performance from Fromm. If he can keep the offense on schedule and avoid mistakes, Georgia’s overall talent advantage should rule the day.

The Bears Win If:

For the Bears to cap a remarkable turnaround with a bowl win, they need to slow down Georgia’s ground game, especially on early downs. The Bulldogs can be downright ugly on offense when they can’t establish their running attack, so if the Bears can put the pressure on Fromm to drive the offense, they will significantly boost their chances of winning. Offensively, Brewer and company have to avoid turnovers and any mistakes that will give Georgia a short field to work with. The Bulldogs’ Achilles’ heel has been their offense, and the Bears can’t make life any easier for Georgia to score points.

Bottom Line:

It is no secret that the Bulldogs have had their issues scoring points, but Baylor hasn’t exactly been an offensive juggernaut, and the Bears play in a Big 12 conference where defense is basically optional. It is one thing for Georgia to struggle to score against the like of LSU, Auburn and Florida. It is another thing to see the Bears score just 23 points in an overtime against Oklahoma, only 24 points against a porous Texas defense and just 29 points in a triple-overtime contest against TCU. Plus, Georgia’s defense has been able to contain every offense it has faced. Yes, they allowed a season-high 37 points to LSU in the SEC title game, but I’m sure the Oklahoma team that beat Baylor twice this year would have loved to hold LSU to just 37 points. I just don’t see the Bears being able to put enough points on the board to pull this one out.

Prediction: Georgia Bulldogs (-5) Cover the Spread

Georgia’s defense may be coming off their worst performance of the season (statistically speaking), but the Bulldogs arrive in New Orleans still ranked fourth in total defense to square off against the Baylor Bears in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

As defensive coordinator Dan Lanning pointed out in his press conference, the Junkyard Dawgs face a tough test in scheming against a balanced Baylor offense.

The Bears feature a proven pocket passer in Charlie Brewer, who was recently cleared to play in the Sugar Bowl. Behind him are “shifty” tailbacks John Lovett and JaMycal Hasty, both totally solid in providing pass protection. Beside him are a group of versatile tight ends capable of receiving and particularly adept at blocking. He’s assisted by the great size and speed of his outside receivers, specifically in senior Denzel Mims and sophomore Tyquan Thornton.

With the Georgia secondary missing J.R. Reed and Tyrique McGhee, the Bears’ Brewer, Mims, and Thornton could take advantage of younger Bulldog players getting some of their first significant playing time in the defensive backfield. The defense has at times struggled with passes over the middle of the field, but has excelled with 50/50 balls to the outside of the field, so this matchup will be strength-on-strength.

Baylor is ranked at a good-but-not great 50th in the nation in team rushing and is presented a tall task in facing a Silver Britches defense ranked third in the country against the run.

Georgia’s defensive front seven is still the only group in the country that has given up only one rushing touchdown all year. The next fewest: Oregon with four allowed.

If Baylor’s offense has one glaring weakness, it would be their offensive line.

They’re one of the bigger offensive lines in the Big XII and consequently are one of their conference’s better run blocking units. However, their pass protection is wildly inconsistent, they’ve given up more sacks (35) than any of their conference foes, and only eighteen FBS teams have given up more. That’s remarkable for a team that finished the regular season with a single loss.

The Dawgs’ D hasn’t rushed the quarterback as much this year as fans have seen in previous seasons, but with edge rushers Quay Walker, Nolan Smith, Jermaine Johnson, and Azeez Ojulari having combined for 12 sacks, Bulldog Nation should feel confident that Dan Lanning’s squad can notch multiple sacks on Brewer.

Given the injuries Georgia has on the other side of the ball, Baylor’s best chance at wearing down the Junkyard Dawgs is controlling time of possession. If Baylor’s offense can’t control the clock and Georgia’s defensive starters can get ample time to rest on the sideline, I like the Dawgs in this one.

Baylor Vs Georgia Prediction 1/1

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