CFP Title Game: TCU-UGA Preview, Props, Prediction
No one anticipated that TCU would be one of the two remaining teams in the College Football Playoff championship game. The Horned Frogs were predicted to finish seventh in the Big 12 this season.
First-year head coach Sonny Dykes didn't even select quarterback Max Duggan as the opening-game starter, so it came as no surprise that he placed second in the Heisman Trophy voting.
But as the third-ranked Horned Frogs attempt to subdue top-ranked Georgia in the national championship game on Monday in Inglewood, California, nothing about them feels the least bit surprising.
In the CFP era, which started in 2014, the Bulldogs (14-0) are attempting to become the first group to win back-to-back championships.
The Horned Frogs (13-2) are attempting to cap off an incredible journey in the meantime.
We may have first seen ourselves as (a Cinderella squad) since we were still figuring things out, Dykes said. "I believe that the majority of us probably wouldn't have believed that we would play for a national championship if you had asked us before the season began."
At BetMGM, Georgia started as a 13.5-point favourite. The public strongly favoured the Horned Frogs, thus the line changed to 13, but by Monday it had gone to 13.5 even though 71 percent of spread bets and 58 percent of the handle continued to favour TCU.
Monday morning, DraftKings listed the spread at 12.5 points, but by the afternoon, it had changed to 13.0 points, with the Horned Frogs drawing 66 and 51% of the spread activity, respectively.
At BetRivers, where the Bulldogs had been backed by 53% of the wagers as 13.5-point favourites, Georgia was receiving greater support. TCU continued to sell 62% of the tickets.
The Bulldogs' own motivation is to win their second consecutive championship. It was the first championship for the programme since the 1980 team under Herschel Walker's leadership.
Georgia still ranks seventh nationally in scoring defence, allowing 14.8 points per game, despite having given up 71 points in their previous two games. Eight times, the Bulldogs gave up 14 or fewer points, including two blanks.
With 41.1 points scored per game, TCU is tied for fourth nationally, but due to a knee injury sustained in the Michigan game, star running back Kendre Miller (1,399 yards, 17 touchdowns) may not be available.
If Miller is unable to play, Emari Demercado will take Miller's place. Senior Demercado outran Michigan by 150 yards on the ground, which was a career high.
Georgia has triumphed over TCU in each of their encounters, most recently winning 31-23 in the 2016 Liberty Bowl.
Georgia centre Sedrick Van Pran said, "I know everyone wants to act like they're this myth or this Cinderella story, but the truth of the matter is that they're one of the top teams in college football. They therefore serve a purpose.So that's how we're taking it.
PROP PICKS
Georgia TE Brock Bowers Under 64.5 Receiving Yards (-132 at BetRivers): Of all the player props at the sportsbook, this one has attracted the most money. This season, Bowers has been incredibly reliable, catching at least four receptions in nine of his previous 12 games, as well as multiple passes in every game. But only twice in his last nine games and four times this season has he surpassed 64.5 receiving yards.
Over 63.5 points (-105 at BetMGM): On Monday, DraftKings offered -110 odds on the identical total, with the Over drawing 77% of bets and 52% of the money. In the meantime, BetRivers was providing a 63.0 point line with a 71 and 63 percent, respectively, backing the over/under.after the line opened at 61.5, there were 71 percent of wagers and 68 percent of the action behind the Over.
TCU QB 0.5 rushing touchdowns or more for Max Duggan (+120 at DraftKings) The sportsbook's fifth-most-bet player prop is this one. Since the regular season finished, the Horned Frogs have become more dependent on Duggan's running ability; between the Big 12 Championship and the CFP semifinal games, he had three touchdowns on 30 attempts. Miller's knee injury makes his status unknown, which may make Duggan's legs even more important to the game plan. Who does Dykes trust with the ball in his hands more when the game is on the line than Dugga,
