by Rod Pearson
Tuesday, Sep 05, 2023
Game Time: 12:00 pm ET, Saturday, September 9, 2023
Venue: Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA
Where to Watch: SEC Network
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Ball +42, UGA -42; Over/Under: 52.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Ball +42, UGA -42; Over/Under: 52.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Ball +42.5, UGA -42.5; Over/Under: 52.5 points
Season Record
Ball State Cardinals: 0-1 (0-0) (5th place, MAC West)
Georgia Bulldogs: 1-0 (0-0) (3rd place, SEC East)
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Ball State Cardinals: lost their last game on the road against the Kentucky Wildcats 44-14.
Georgia Bulldogs: won their last game at home against the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks 48-7.
Ball State Cardinals vs Georgia Bulldogs Preview and Analysis
Ball State is entering this game with a 0-1 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their conference games too. They are 0-0 in their home games, 0-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They lost their last game against Kentucky 44-14. Kadin Semonza was the starting QB and he completed 15/21 passes for 165 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Marquez Cooper led the team in rushing yards with 33. Ty Robinson led the receivers with 90 receiving yards on 5 receptions and 1 TD. Jordan Riley-Scott led the defense in that game with 4 solo tackles and 1 assisted tackle while Sidney Houston Jr. led the defense in sacks with 1. Tyler Potts came away with the only interception for them in that game.
Georgia is entering this game with a 1-0 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their conference games too. They are 1-0 in their home games, 0-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against UT Martin 48-7. Carson Beck was the starting QB and he completed 21/31 passes for 294 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Kendall Milton led the team in rushing yards with 53. Brock Bowers led the receivers with 77 receiving yards on 5 receptions. Malaki Starks led the defense in that game with 3 solo tackles and 5 assisted tackles while Mykel Williams led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that game.
Ball State vs Georgia Prediction
The current betting odds have Georgia listed as a 42 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Georgia is the number 1 team in the country after winning the National Championship in back-to-back years and they have already opened their season with a dominant win over a team from the FCS. Now they get their 1st FBS matchup here and after seeing what happened to some of these top schools in the country in week 1, Georgia is going to be putting their foot on the gas here to run up the score. Ball State wasn't terrible in their 1st game as they did score 14 points in their 30 point loss on the road to Kentucky, but now they are on the road again against Georgia who has a much stronger defense and much stronger offense. Ball State doesn't stand a chance in this game trying to defend that Georgia offense and they will be lucky if they even score a point on that Georgia defense. The best way to place a bet here is on Georgia to cover the spread in this game.
Ball State Georgia Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, September 9, 2023 (12:00 pm ET start time) is Georgia 60 Ball State 6.
Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this Ball State Cardinals Georgia Bulldogs prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAF predictions and previews.
NCAAF Betting Trends
Ball State Cardinals: 2-8 ATS in non-conference games. 3-8 ATS after playing their last game on the road. 18-8 UNDER in all games. 11-3 UNDER after 1 or more consecutive losses against the spread.
Georgia Bulldogs: 10-2 ATS when the total is between 49.5 and 56. 9-2 ATS off a no-cover where the team won as a favorite. 46-26 UNDER after a win by 28 or more points. 6-3 UNDER as a favorite of 31 or more points.
Key Injuries
Ball State Cardinals: B. Hunt (TE) Doub Sat - Ankle. C. Davis (RB) Ques Sat - Knee. T. Woodard (DL) Ques Sat - Shoulder. V. Pemberton (RB) Ques Sat - Knee. T. Koziol (TE) Ques Sat - Head.
Georgia Bulldogs: D. Edwards (RB) Prob Sat - Knee. D. Morrissette (WR) Ques Sat - Groin. L. McConkey (WR) Ques Sat - Back. M. Rosemy-Jacksaint (WR) Ques Sat - Undisclosed. B. Robinson (RB) out for season - Knee. J. Meeks (WR) Out indefinitely - Foot. L. Luckie (TE) Out indefinitely - Ankle.
Notable Quotes
“Can't lose the turnover battle. Two costly turnovers in the first half. Can't do that against a good football team.” - Mike Neu after his team’s loss against Kentucky in their last game.
“Ladd (McConkey), he’s day to day. We thought he might be able to go last week and he wasn’t. He was really a game time decision. He didn’t feel good on Friday, so we held him on Saturday. He’s running today, but he’s been dealing with some back pain that’s been lingering for him.” - Kirby Smart on the injury to Ladd McConkey.
Starting Lineups
Ball State Cardinals
WR Robinson, Ty
WR Gillie, Malcolm
WR Magwood, Qian
TE Hunt, Brady
TE Koziol, Tanner
QB Hatcher, Layne
RB Cooper, Marquez
Georgia Bulldogs
WR Rosemy-Jacksaint, Marcus
WR McConkey, Ladd
WR Lovett, Dominic
TE Bowers, Brock
QB Beck, Carson
RB Edwards, Daijun
Statistical Leaders
Ball State Cardinals
Passing: K. Semonza (165)
Rushing: M. Cooper (33)
Receiving: T. Robinson (90)
Touchdowns: L. Hatcher (1)
Georgia Bulldogs
Passing: C. Beck (294)
Rushing: K. Milton (53)
Receiving: B. Bowers (77)
Touchdowns: M. Mews (1)
Coaches:
Ball State Cardinals: Mike Neu (8th season)
Georgia Bulldogs: Kirby Smart (8th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
