It seems like only yesterday that Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs were crowned champs of the college football universe for the 2nd year in a row. The "Dawgs" appear to have a bona-fide dynasty brewing down in Athens, as they're currently the betting favorite to win back-to-back-to-back national titles (+220 at Caesars).
We're only a couple days away from Week 1 of college football. Why not capture some CLV while we can? Here are 3 bets to jump on early. The season can't get here fast enough!
Best Bet: Georgia Tech +9.5
I respect Louisville and Jeff Brohm was a great hire, but they shouldn't be laying this many points on the road. Did y'all see how well the Georgia Tech passing game did in its spring game? The Jackets were airing it out like crazy!
Former Texas A&M starter Haynes King was dropping dimes all over the secondary. Redshirt freshman Zach Pyron looked pretty good too. No reason to think they can't do the same against the Cardinals in the opening week.
The Yellow Jacket defense looked a bit iffy at times last season, but I think they'll be better in 2023. Ten of the 11 starters on defense will be upperclassmen, including a couple of nice transfers in Braelen Oliver and Andre White. This spread should be closer to +6, so we'll gladly jump on the +9.5 with GT at home.
Best Bet: TCU -19
Everybody loves Coach Prime and it's easy to see why. He brings a charisma and energy that Colorado desperately needs. However, the Buffs lost a ton to the portal as a whole, even with Deion snaring a few solid players of his own.
TCU lost a bunch of guys from last year's national title run, but Sonny Dykes has reloaded the cupboard pretty well. He brought in former Bama standouts Trey Sanders and JoJo Earle to bolster the offense. Also, don't forget that new QB Chandler Morris actually beat out Max Duggan last year for the starting job before getting hurt.
The Frogs will also be chomping at the bit to get back on the field after getting drubbed by Georgia in the CFP title game in January. The Buffs will be overmatched in this one. Lay the big points with TCU!
Best Bet: LSU -2.5
This is a nice revenge spot for the Bayou Bengals, as they lost to the 'Noles last year to open up the 2022 campaign. We're betting that the LSU offense will be ready and raring to go in year #2 of the Jayden Daniels/Brian Kelly era. Florida State is getting a ton of preseason hype, but you have to wonder if this team is really ready for primetime.
Speaking of Daniels, he'll have a plethora of speedy weapons to throw the ball to this season. Three upperclassmen should be big contributors at wideout. Kyren Lacy didn't find the end zone last season but he's a nice target at 6-3 and 212 pounds.
Also, don't forget about Brian Thomas Jr., who is 6-foot 5 and caught 5 touchdowns a year ago. Malik Nabers is another solid playmaker that could give the FSU secondary some fits. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that RB Noah Cain comes back after averaging 5.4 yards per carry last season.
As for the Seminoles, Jordan Travis made huge strides last season and he's a legitimate Heisman candidate. However, look for linebacker sensation Harold Perkins to make life tough for Travis in this one. Lay the small number with LSU!
