Against the Odds: The Georgia and Ohio State Games Provide Multiple Bets to Consider
Betting on college football can be basic by betting on the traditional point spread, but beyond that fact, there are unique bets that can come into play. Individual player bets, for instance, are often overlooked.
Now, one needs to really dig into the statistics as well as understand what type of player and situation will be presented within a game. For instance, a great player could be pulled out of action once a substantial lead comes about.
Still, it’s unique to consider individual player bets, and sometimes defensive or offensive bets for how many yards a team will accumulate. Many possibilities presented themselves so far in 2021, and that’s the case with Missouri at Georgia and Ohio State at Nebraska this Saturday.
Missouri at Georgia (-38.5)
While the bulldogs will play a Missouri team that’s allowed 24 or more points in every game it's played this season, the Bulldogs would be quite the opposite by allowing a grand total of 53 points for the entire 2021 season.
Mismatch? Las Vegas casinos believe so, with the betting lines pushing a 40-point spread. This game does hold a unique aspect to watch beyond the actual 38.5 points that Georgia is favored to win by.
Missouri signal caller Connor Bazelak is one of the Southeastern Conference’s most accurate passers, and he can thread the needle when needed. Can he help lead the Tigers to score 20 or more points versus a Bulldogs’ defense that did not yet allow more than 13 points during a game this season? That's one bet to consider, how many points Missouri can actually score against Georgia.
Connor Bazelak deserves more attention, but the Missouri quarterback plays on a team that's 4-4 and allows 36.0 points per game
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Additionally, no team rushed for more than the 161 yards that Florida rushed for against Georgia. With running back Tyler Badie coming off a game in which he carried 31 times for 254 yards and two touchdowns against Vanderbilt, it will be a test of wills between Missouri’s offensive line and Badie going against unquestionably the best front seven in college football in what Georgia presents. What’s your over/under on how many yards Badie rushes for against the Bulldogs? He’s a future NFL running back, so that’s a unique bet to consider.
Ohio State (-15.5) at Nebraska
The Buckeyes will roll into Lincoln, Neb. with a six-game winning streak, and with an average score of 50.8 to 14.0. That’s dominance. Now, the Buckeyes played only one ranked opponent during that stretch -- Penn State last Saturday night -- which does allow for higher margins of victory. With that stated, Ohio State did what it should, and that’s throttle less talented teams.
Will a Nebraska team that’s lost all six games by less than a 10-point margin finally rise up and win a big game? The Huskers stumbled to a 3-6 record thus far, and they need to find a big victory or former legendary player now Head Coach Scott Frost might soon be looking for a new job. Against Ohio State, that’s a tall order. Look for the Huskers to come out fired up and play like there’s nothing to lose.
In essence, the Ohio State game will likely be Nebraska’s bowl game. Each member of the Cornhuskers will probably play as hard or harder than any other game this season. That 15.5 point spread could be overcome despite Ohio State’s offensive production.
Much of that success for the Buckeyes’ offense came by way of redshirt freshman signal caller CJ Stroud truly coming into his own. After a so-so performance during the loss at home to Oregon by the score of 35-28, Stroud has really stepped up his play, especially in the last month.
Ohio State signal caller CJ Stroud has been on fire during the past four games
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
He’s thrown 15 touchdown passes during the past four games, while also completing 84 of his 118 passing attempts, for a 71.1% completion percentage, The other traditional total to note would be Stroud accumulating 1,307 yards during those same four games.
Per completion, Stroud’s average during that four-game stretch would be 15.6 yards, a fantastic number for a quarterback. Per attempt, Stroud also recorded a sky-high 11.1 yard average.
Nebraska’s pass defense did not yet allow a 300-yard passer. Will Stroud be the first? Stroud threw for more than 300 yards four times, while also passing for 294 yards against Minnesota.
Of all the possible bets for this game, Stroud’s passing total would certainly be a great one to ponder.
Final Thoughts
If one considers all the possibilities for the two aforementioned games, there are possible bets for gamblers to consider that go outside the box. It’s not a perfect scenario, as each of the prior examples could go either way, but do deserve a look from college football gamblers.
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