The Marshall Thundering Herd and Georgia Bulldogs meet Saturday in college football action at Sanford Stadium. Here’s a Georgia vs Marshall Prediction. This article will include a Georgia vs Marshall Pick.
Marshall Thundering Herd Betting Preview
The Marshall Thundering Herd won 10 games last season and begin the Tony Gibson era. Marshall hasn’t won double-digit games in back-to-back years since 2015, and has a brand-new coaching staff.
It doesn’t look like Marshall has a clear-cut quarterback, but Chad Pennington’s son, Cole Pennington, is on the roster. Marshall lost a lot of talent on the offensive side in terms of playmakers, but tight end Toby Payne is coming off a 17 catch season and could be a game changer in his third season. The offensive line has experience and is led by Jalen Slappy.
Defensively, Marshall lost its top-11 tacklers from last season. Jadarius Green-McKnight is back after 38 tackles and 3 pass deflections, while Braydin Ward had 14 tackles and 1 interception. Needless to say, Marshall is breaking in nearly an entire new defense that’s led by defensive coordinator Shannon Morrison.
Marshall doesn’t have a single player who rushed for a yard last season, only two players who caught a pass, and almost all of its tacklers are gone as well. This Marshall team is brand new on both sides.
Georgia Bulldogs Betting Preview
The Georgia Bulldogs won 11 games last season and enter the 10th year under coach Kirby Smart. Georgia has won double-digit games in each of the last four seasons.
Gunner Stockton will become the starting quarterback, and he has 83 pass attempts under his belt. Nate Frazier is back after leading Georgia in rushing last season and eight touchdowns, while receiver Zachariah Branch transfers from USC and Noah Thomas comes over from Texas A&M. Georgia’s offensive line is the main concern for this unit, as the Bulldogs said goodbye to four starters.
Defensively, CJ Allen returns after 76 tackles 4 pass deflections, while KJ Bolden had 59 tackles and 1 interception. Daylen Everette had 58 tackles and 3 interceptions, while Raylen Wilson had 47 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Georgia also snagged highly recruited players in Isaiah Gibson and Elijah Griffin, who should see the field a ton as freshmen.
Georgia opens the season as a national title contender, but there are worries about that offensive line and if Stockton is the answer at quarterback.
Why the Georgia Bulldogs will win
- Georgia has won each of its last 41 games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Marshall has lost each of its last three road games against non-conference opponents.
- Georgia has covered the spread in each of its last three games in August.
- Georgia has won the first half in 10 of its last 11 games against non-conference opponents at Sanford Stadium.
Why the Marshall Thundering Herd will win
- Marshall has won each of its last 12 season openers.
- Marshall has covered the spread in each of its last nine road openers.
- Georgia has failed to cover the spread in each of its last eight games against non-AP-ranked teams.
Georgia Bulldogs Player Prop Facts
- Brett Thorson ranked 7th amongst qualified players for gross average yards per punt (47.6) last season.
Marshall Thundering Herd Player Prop Facts
- Adrian Norton led Akron for receptions (43) last season.
Georgia vs Marshall Prediction
Georgia obviously has the depth and the talent to blow the doors off Marshall, especially with the Thundering Herd breaking in a new team from top to bottom. However, Georgia has question marks of its own with the offensive line and a frankly inexperienced quarterback. Talent gap or not, this is a lot of points to throw out there opening weekend.
Also, Georgia is 0-7-1 ATS in its last eight games when favorites of 30 or more points. Georgia hasn’t covered a number this large since its 2022 win over Vanderbilt. This is a lot of points. I’ll take a shot with Marshall and the endless touchdowns.