Sam Avellone
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The College Football Playoff quarterfinals wrap up at 4:00 pm ET today on Thursday, January 2 in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Notre Dame comes into this one following a convincing win over Indiana in the first round, while Georgia has had extra time to prepare for life without Carson Beck under center. Just like all of the other playoff matchups, we have you covered with a Same Game Parlay for the Sugar Bowl. Let’s get to our Notre Dame vs Georgia Same Game Parlay picks, and make sure you continue checking Pickswise daily for college football picks on all of the remaining bowl and playoff games.
Gunner Stockton (UGA) over 15.5 rushing yards (-115)
Riley Leonard (ND) over 29.5 pass attempts (-110)
Georgia Bulldogs ML (-115)
Notre Dame vs Georgia Same Game Parlay odds: +500
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Gunner Stockton (UGA) over 15.5 rushing yards (-115)
Gunner Stockton’s skillset is much different than Carson Beck’s, and that was fairly evident in the short sample size we saw from him in the 2nd half of the SEC Championship game. The box score may not depict it, but Stockton looked comfortable as a runner against a Texas defense that is much better against the run than Notre Dame. In fact, Notre Dame arguably leaves a bit to be desired in its run defense, whether you value basic counting stats or the advanced metrics. The Irish are 40th in rushing yards allowed per game (133.0), in addition to 62nd in PPA per rush and 80th in rushing success rate allowed over the course of the entire season. They haven’t been much better in recent weeks, either. In fact, they’ve been worse.
Since Week 9, Notre Dame is 94th in PPA per rush and 88th in rushing success rate allowed, most notably giving up 7 yards per carry against USC in its regular season finale. The extended time off for the Bulldogs allows their staff to scheme up some plays for Stockton that aren’t on film, which could lead to a couple of chunk runs for the young quarterback. For what it’s worth, Stockton had 5 designed runs against Texas and went for more than 20 yards on the ground in just 1 half.
Read our full Notre Dame vs Georgia predictions for the Sugar Bowl
Riley Leonard (ND) over 29.5 pass attempts (-110)
With extra time to prepare, I trust Kirby Smart and the Georgia defense to force Riley Leonard out of his comfort zone. As one of the best running quarterbacks in the country, look for the Bulldogs to crowd the box and make Leonard beat them with his arm – which is not something he’s known for given his bottom-20 average depth of target among qualified quarterbacks. Furthermore, none of his receivers average more than 2 yards per route run, so I don’t expect them to test the Bulldogs secondary deep down the field. Rather, there should be plenty of short and medium pass attempts for Leonard, especially if the Bulldogs can limit Jeremiyah Love and play with a lead for a chunk of this game.
Don’t miss our Duke vs Ole Miss Same Game Parlay picks for the Gator Bowl at +400 odds
Georgia Bulldogs ML over Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-115)
Notre Dame’s season has been nothing short of impressive. The Irish had just 1 blemish the entire season, and although it was an ugly blemish, they passed every other test they faced. However, they have yet to meet a team of the caliber of Georgia – a program led by one of the best coaching staffs in the country that has been there and done that in the College Football Playoff. Not having Beck under center is a concern. However, with a rest and preparation advantage for the Bulldogs, I cannot help but see value on Georgia here, especially given my belief that the Irish will struggle to stop the run.
Now read our Duke vs Ole Miss predictions in the Gator Bowl for today’s other game
