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

The No. 14 Clemson Tigers reeled off five straight wins to end the 2023 season to finish 9-4 and look to open the new year with a shocking upset of the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday. Led by two-time national championship winning coach Dabo Swinney, the Tigers have a balanced offense with quarterback Cade Klubnik at the helm, as well as a very good defense. Georgia enters off a 13-1 season, the first in three years that it didn't win a national title. Bulldogs QB Carson Beck is a preseason All-American and his team is picked by many pundits to contend for a championship once again. These teams last met three years ago, a 10-3 Georgia win at Clemson.

Kickoff is 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 Clemson vs. Georgia:

• Georgia vs. Clemson spread: Georgia -12.5
• Georgia vs. Clemson over/under: 48.5 points
• Georgia vs. Clemson money line: Georgia -503, Clemson +377
• Georgia vs. Clemson picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Georgia can cover

The Bulldogs are led by preseason All-American quarterback Carson Beck , who threw for more than 3,900 yards and 24 touchdowns last season. With plenty of talent around him, Beck looks to lead a balanced offense including transfer tight end Benjamin Yurosek from Stanford .

Even if Georgia's offense isn't in midseason form, its stifling defense is likely to pick up the slack and slow down the Tigers' offense. Led by All-American safety Malaki Starks , who had 52 tackles and three interceptions last season, the Bulldogs should maintain their elite level of the last half decade. It seems like a stretch for Clemson to win a high-scoring team against a high-caliber Georgia unit which only allowed 16.6 points per game last season. See which team to pick here .

Why Clemson can cover

The Tigers are the rare team who didn't add any players in the transfer portal this offseason. They have recruited well enough to replace their entire defensive line with highly-touted recruits of the last several years. Clemson ranked seventh nationally, giving up fewer than 280 yards per game in 2023 and shouldn't see much of a drop despite losing more than half of their starters from last season.

On the other side, Klubnik returns to lead the offense after a 2,800 yard and 19 touchdown season through the air. Four of his top five receivers return from last season and overall, the Tigers welcome back nine starters on offense. Georgia will be without projected starting running back Trevor Etienne due to a suspension, per a report from CBS/247Sports . See which team to pick here .

How to make Georgia vs. Clemson picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 54 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits 60% 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 60% 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.