Georgia vs. Clemson score prediction by a football expert model

Week 1 of the historic 2024 college football season begins with a colossal SEC-ACC clash in Atlanta, pitting national championship favorite Georgia against Clemson.

The last time these schools met was in the 2021 season opener, the first game in what culminated in Georgia's first of two consecutive national championships.

Despite the loss of key players like Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey, the Bulldogs return quarterback Carson Beck and most of their elite defense.

Clemson also has an impressive defense despite the NFL departures, and quarterback Cade Klubnik remains with the team, but the question remains how the Tigers will add a top-notch receiver that the team has been missing during its absence from the College Football Playoff.

What does the analytics say about the matchup? Let's turn to the SP+ prediction model to get a preview of what to expect when Georgia and Clemson start the 2024 season.

According to the simulations, Georgia will win its opening game against Clemson by an acceptable margin.

SP+ projects the Bulldogs to defeat the Tigers by a projected score of 36 to 20 and win the game by a projected 15.4 points.

The model predicts that Georgia will win the game by a convincing margin of 83 percent.

SP+ is a “tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of efficiency in college football” that attempts to predict game outcomes by measuring “the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football.”

According to odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, Georgia is a 13.5-point favorite against Clemson, with the total point total for the game set at 48.5.

FanDuel lists the moneyline odds for Georgia at -610 and for Clemson at +440.

If you use this prediction to bet on the game, you should consider the following…

Other analysis models also predict that Georgia will defeat Clemson in the first week's game.

This includes the College Football Power Index, a computer prediction model that simulates games 20,000 times and uses data points from each team to select the winners.

The index predicts that Georgia will win the game in 82.4 percent of simulations, while Clemson is expected to win in the remaining 17.6 percent of simulations.

The model predicts that Georgia will be 14.6 points better than Clemson, which is also enough to make up the point difference.

When: Sat., Aug. 31
Time: 12pm Eastern Time
TV: ABC Network

The game odds are updated regularly and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and needs help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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