Peach Bowl Betting 2023 Odds, Predictions, Preview

The Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 42-41 in the 2022 Peach Bowl.

Check out last year's coverage here below and tune back in with us soon for the 2023 Peach Bowl Odds, Picks and Predictions.

The defending national champions are looking to become the first repeat national champions in a decade. The Georgia Bulldogs enter the College Football Playoff as the team to beat after a 12-0 regular season capped off by another SEC Championship.

Georgia has been the top team in the country all season long, and the Bulldogs have won all but one of their games by at least 10 points. The Ohio State Buckeyes have their work cut out for them when these teams meet in the second College Football Playoff semifinal, especially because this is essentially a home game for the Bulldogs.

The second College Football Playoff semifinal will pit the Georgia Bulldogs against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. This game is scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Georgia Bulldogs Betting Prediction

This is going to be too tough of a matchup for Ohio State. Michigan proved that it's possible to wear down this front seven, and that is something Georgia will look to replicate on Saturday night.

The Bulldogs’ offense is predicated on a solid ground game, as that allows Stetson Bennett to thrive off play action, and they will control the clock en route to a convincing victory over the Buckeyes in Atlanta on New Year’s Eve.

Score Prediction: Georgia 37, Ohio State 17
Best Bet: Georgia -6 (-110)

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Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Georgia Bulldogs Betting Odds

Peach Bowl Betting Resources

• Date: Saturday, December 31, 2022
• TV-Time: ESPN, 8:00 p.m. ET
• Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
• Location: Atlanta, Georgia
• Expert Picks

Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Analysis

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This offense was projected to be the best in the country at the start of the season. However, Ohio State never had the explosiveness we saw at times last year.

Top running back TreVeyon Henderson and top receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba had their seasons plagued by injuries, and both Henderson and Smith-Njigba will be unavailable for the Peach Bowl due to those issues.

Still, C.J. Stroud was a First Team All-Big Ten quarterback. Stroud completed 66.2% of his passes for 3,340 yards (9.4 YPA) with 37 touchdowns and six interceptions. We didn’t see Stroud run the ball much, but he didn’t need to in this offense.

Miyan Williams was the No. 1 running back on Ohio State with Henderson injured for most of the season. Wiliams also dealt with a leg injury late in the year, but he is expected to be the starting running back for the Buckeyes in the Peach Bowl.

He ran for 817 yards (6.5 YPC) and 13 touchdowns, and freshman Dallas Hayden emerged as the No. 2 back with Henderson out.

Although Smith-Njigba only played in three games this season, Ohio State still had two 1,000-yard receivers in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka.

Harrison thrived as the go-to receiver with 72 receptions for 1,157 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Egbuka caught 66 passes for 1,039 yards and nine TDs.

Ohio State’s defense is much better than it was in 2021. The Buckeyes ranked 15th in Defensive SP+ in their first season under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, and they were balanced against the run and the pass.

Linebacker Tommy Eichenberg led the Buckeyes in tackles and was a First Team All-Big Ten selection, and Zach Harrison can be a real difference maker at defensive end.

Georgia Bulldogs Betting Analysis

Kirby Smart is old school when it comes to his offense, but the Bulldogs have been more pass-oriented than you might think this season. Georgia has only run the ball on 53.6% of its plays even though the Bulldogs are averaging 5.7 YPC. They have allowed Stetson Bennett to take to the air more, and he rewarded them with a fine season.

Bennett completed 68.1% of his passes for 3,425 yards (8.7 YPA) with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions.

He was only sacked seven times behind a star-studded offensive line, but he also showed some mobility by averaging 6.0 YPC with seven touchdowns once you take out sack yardage.

Georgia’s best threat in the passing game was tight end Brock Bowers. The versatile tight end was named First Team All-SEC after catching a team-high 52 passes for 726 yards and six touchdowns.

Bowers also showed that he has some wheels with three rushing touchdowns, and that made this ground game even more versatile.

Unfortunately, No. 1 receiver Ladd McConkey is questionable to play in the Peach Bowl after being injured in the SEC Championship Game.

The ground game is in great shape. Kenny McIntosh is the leading rusher on the Bulldogs with 709 yards (5.2 YPC) and 10 touchdowns.

Daijun Edwards is right behind him and is averaging 5.4 YPC, while Kendall MIlton and Branson Robinson provide depth. McIntosh is also the third leading receiver with 37 receptions for 449 yards and a TD.

The other big question hovering around this offense is the status of First Team All-SEC OT Warren McClendon. As with McConkey, McClendon suffered a knee injury in the SEC Championship Game, and his status is unknown prior to the Peach Bowl. That would be a big loss for Georgia.

Georgia’s defense is ranked 2nd in Defensive SP+. The Bulldogs had one of the best run defenses in the country, allowing just 3.0 YPC and 81.8 YPG on the ground. Jalen Carter is a probable top five pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and was a First Team All-SEC selection.

Unfortunately, top pass rusher Nolan Smith was lost for the season in late October. Starting safety Dan Jackson suffered a season-ending injury two months ago as well, but Georgia has done a better job of overcoming that setback.

Senior cornerback Christopher Smith had a fine year too and will be asked to help shut down some of the best receivers in college football.

Peach Bowl Best Bets

Peach Bowl History

The Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl debuted in 1968, and the matchup had conference tie-ins with the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The game takes place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia as the previous venues for this contest were Grant Field and Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. This game was named the Peach Bowl from 1968-1996, as Chick-Fil-A acquired sponsorship rights in 1997. 

The Peach Bowl is part of the College Football Playoff rotation and was part of two semifinal matchups played in 2016 and 2019.

Underdogs fared well from 2012 until 2018 by posting a 5-2 ATS mark, including outright wins by Houston in 2015, UCF in 2017, and Florida in 2018. However, LSU rebounded for the favorites in a big way as 12.5-point chalk by routing Oklahoma, 63-28 in the 2019 College Football Playoff Semifinals. 

In 2020, Georgia edged Cincinnati, as the Bearcats cashed catching seven and a hook. In the 2021 installment, the underdog probably should have cashed, but Michigan State had a pick-six with 22 seconds left to take a 31-21 lead over Pittsburgh, a team catching three points. It was a classic bowl season bad beat for sure.

For more coverage of bowl season, check out our College Football Bowl Central!