Betting the CFP national championship: 3 Georgia player props
The BIG game is finally here and I am so excited. Truly, after the Sunday Night Football magic we had between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders, I couldn't sleep because I also knew it was the night before my Super Bowl, the College Football Playoff national championship.
The Georgia Bulldogs are three-point favorites over the Alabama Crimson Tide. If you are looking for a prediction on the side, you can check out my preview here.
That’s just a side but now let’s talk about player props. For this article, I’ll be looking at only the Georgia side.
Stetson Bennett to throw at least one interception (-135)
Bennett sure looked good against Michigan, didn’t he? The Wolverines barely crack the top 50 in quarterback pressure rate. Nick Saban’s squad is third best. This is simple for me. Bennett has been tested twice and failed twice.
Bennett against Alabama last year: two touchdowns and three interceptions.
Bennett against Alabama this year: three touchdowns and two interceptions.
An improvement, sure, but I expect the trend to continue because Alabama may not be the strongest at forcing turnovers, but when they do, they force more interceptions (15) than fumbles (4). That’s a skillset.
Stetson Bennett UNDER 18.5 rushing yards (-140)
This is not an attack on Bennett, I promise. However, Bennett is hardly a mobile QB to begin with, having 251 rushing yards on the season and averaging just under 20 rushing yards per game. As mentioned, Alabama is top five in sack percentage. In college football, sack yards count against a QB.
Bennett against Alabama last year: two sacks, 12 total rushing yards.
Bennett against Alabama this year: three sacks, 11 total rushing yards.
I feel as confident as one can feel about at least one sack coming into play because … Will Anderson Jr. The Bama LB leads the FBS in sacks (17.5), but if Anderson doesn't get to Bennett, DL Phidarian Mathis will, as he's second on the team in sacks. This is a stellar pass-rushing unit and Bennett can try to run but he’ll get squashed on the way.
Brock Bowers anytime touchdown (+100)
You want to give me plus money on the best offensive player for the Bulldogs? SOLD. Bowers is special. He’s a 6-foot-4 TE that I can already envision playing for any NFL team and being successful … but he’s only a freshman. He’s so good. Alabama’s defense is great against the run but susceptible in the secondary, ranking 50th against the pass. Bowers has 12 touchdowns on the season, at least one in his last four games straight. No reason to not fire at plus-money odds for a player that leads in receptions, receiving yards and receiving scores.
If you want to see which props I’ve picked out for Alabama, make sure to follow the @YahooSportsbook Twitter account as they will be posted there.