Georgia vs. Clemson prediction, odds, betting lines: 2024 college football picks, Week 1 bets by proven model

The No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs look to open their 2024 season with a statement victory as they match up with the No. 14 Clemson Tigers on Saturday afternoon in the 2024 Aflac Kickoff. Georgia finished 13-1 last season and missed the College Football Playoff after an SEC Championship Game loss to Alabama. This year the Bulldogs are in search of their third championship in four years. Clemson won its final five games last season to end up 9-4 and opens this season with plenty of momentum for coach Dabo Swinney. The teams last played in 2021, a 10-3 Georgia victory at Clemson.

Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Bulldogs are 12.5-point favorites in the latest Georgia vs. Clemson odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 48.5. Before making any Clemson vs. Georgia picks, be sure to check out the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model .

The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It is also coming off a profitable 13-9 season on top-rated spread picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen strong returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Georgia vs. Clemson and has locked in its picks and CFB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks . Here are the college football odds and betting lines for Georgia vs. Clemson:

• Georgia vs. Clemson spread: Georgia -12.5
• Georgia vs. Clemson over/under: 48.5 points
• Georgia vs. Clemson money line: Georgia -481, Clemson +364
• Georgia vs. Clemson picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Georgia can cover

Preseason first team All-American Carson Beck might be the top quarterback in the country coming off a 3,941 yard and 24 touchdown season as a first year starter for the Bulldogs. Georgia returns its leading wide receiver, Dominic Lovett , and adds Benjamin Yurosek at tight end from Stanford to help replace first round pick Brock Bowers. The Bulldogs should have an elite offensive line once again with four of five starters returning and teams should have trouble slowing down an offense that averaged 41.1 points per game last season.

On defense, they return seven starters, led by first team All-American safety Malaki Starks . The defense should be nearly as good, if not better than last year's unit which surrendered an average of 16.6 points per game and ranked tenth in yards allowed per game (295.2). It will be a difficult challenge for Clemson's offense to move the ball at will against a stifling Bulldogs unit. See which team to pick here .

Why Clemson can cover

The Tigers got hot at the end of last season and won their final five games so expectations are reasonably high for 2024. Quarterback Cade Klubnik threw for 2,800 yards and 19 touchdowns and ran for four more last season. Nine starters return on offense which averaged 29.8 points per game in 2023, so the Tigers should be productive despite not having gained a player from the transfer portal this offseason.

Clemson's defense ranked 7th last season giving up only 278.7 yards per contest. Though the Tigers lost their entire defensive line from last year's outstanding unit, they have highly touted replacements and should continue to be one of the ACC's top defenses. In what should be a fascinating matchup, the two teams might struggle to score points as they did three years ago. See which team to pick here .

How to make Georgia vs. Clemson picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 58 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits more than 70% of the time. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine .

So who wins Georgia vs. Clemson, and which side of the spread hits in more than 70% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced computer simulation model that's up well over $2,000 on its college football picks since inception , and find out.