Bulldogs vs Tigers NCAA Football Spread/Handicapping
The conference slate gets started right off the hop for the Georgia Bulldogs and the Missouri Tigers. The ‘Dawgs will see what one of the SEC newcomers brings to the table nice and early in the season.
#7 Georgia Bulldogs at Missouri Tigers
Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012, 7:45 pm EST
Venue: Faurot Field, Columbia MO
Gambling Odds from Sportsbook.com:
Spread: Georgia -2.5, Missouri +2.5
MoneyLine: Georgia -140, Missouri +120
Over/Under: 54.5
For Mizzou, it’s an excellent chance to set the tone for the campaign, in front of a frenzied home crowd at Faurot Field.
The most intriguing part of this game is, without question, the quarterback match-up. Georgia’s Aaron Murray and Mizzou’s James Franklin are two of the most exciting QBs in college football, and both teams lean on these players a lot in order to be successful. While Murray is a more traditional passer, Franklin brings a phenomenal blend of aerial capability and scrambling to the position. Franklin was on auto-pilot last week against lowly FCS chump S.E. Louisiana (he only attempted 21 passes and six rushes) but expect his A-game this week at home versus Georgia.
Murray’s ascendancy, meanwhile, has been gradual but steady. Now a junior, the undersized Florida native has started since Day One as a freshman. He’s already thrown for over 6,000 yards and 62 TDs in his Georgia career; Murray should shatter all of David Greene’s career records at the school before his done (especially if Murray stays for his senior season). For the ‘Dawgs, losing starting RB Isaiah Crowell to malfeasance certainly hurts, but Todd Gurley looked good last week, ripping off over 100 yards and rushing and 12.5 yards per carry. It was good enough to grab SEC Freshman of the Week honors for Week 1. The passing game mainly funnels through Murray, and the talented WR Tavarres King. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The predictions for this game would settle more firmly in Georgia’s favor if it weren’t for hijinks and subsequent school reprimands; having Crowell and All-American safety Bacarri Rambo out is a definite blow. Still, if the Tigers are to pull the upset, in will have to be done primarily with Franklin. Georgia’s “D” might just be able to key in on him; though the Mizzou attack looked good last year, it wasn’t putting those gaudy stats up in the SEC – against a strong defense every week. On the other hand, the home-field advantage and the “let’s prove ourselves in a new schoolyard” factors clearly favor Missouri. Indeed, this could be the closest game to call this week.
I’ll call for Georgia to leave Columbia with a narrow victory – Murray to slightly out-duel Franklin, and for RB Gurley to continue to impress as a freshman – just as South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore did a couple seasons ago, and Georgia’s Crowell did last year. Regardless, anticipate a great game here on Saturday night in the Show-Me State.
#7 Georgia vs. Missouri Score Prediction: Georgia 27, Missouri 21
