The defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs try to take the next step toward repeating when they meet Ohio State in Saturday’s second College Football Playoff semifinal, this one the Peach Bowl in Atlanta. The ‘Dawgs are 31-1 over their last 32 games and seeking to become the first back-to-back national champions of the CFP era. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, should consider themselves a bit lucky just to be here after losing their regular-season finale to Michigan.

Which way are we going here for our free Peach Bowl betting pick?

Peach Bowl Betting Odds

The college football bowl season betting lines opened Georgia as a seven-point favorite for this Peach Bowl, with an over/under of right around 60.5. Early betting action then edged that spread down to -6 and bumped that total to 62.5.

According to Sagarin’s CFB ratings at USAToday.com, the Bulldogs should be only be favored by three points for this match-up.

Peach Bowl Betting Preview

Ohio State played 12-1 this season, lost the most important game at home to Michigan but got a little lucky - thank you, Utah - and made the CFP for the third time over the last four seasons.

The Buckeyes opened this season with a rather unconvincing win over Notre Dame, then roasted some poor competition through its Big Ten slate. Wisconsin and Iowa made bowls, but Ohio State beat them by a combined score of 106-31. OSU trailed at Penn State well into the fourth quarter, then exploded for four touchdowns and won 44-31. A bad Northwestern team gave the Buckeyes a weather-aided good game, as did Maryland. In the end, Ohio State gave up five long touchdowns to Michigan and lost 45-23.

But with a little help from elsewhere, the Buckeyes are playing Saturday in this CFP.

Ohio State is 3-2 SU but 1-4 ATS in bowls/CFP under Coach Day. Last year the Buckeyes outlasted Utah in a crazy Rose Bowl 48-45 but came up short ATS at -4.

Georgia, meanwhile, played a perfect 13-0 this season, 8-0 in SEC play, and leveled LSU in the SEC championship game 50-30. So the Bulldogs are back in the CFP for the third time over the last six seasons.

UGA opened this season with that trouncing of Oregon, later bombed what turned out to be a pretty good South Carolina team, then needed a fourth-quarter rally to win at Missouri 26-22. The ‘Dawgs then rolled from there, winning each of their last eight games by double-digits, six by 20 points or more, plus that convincing victory over what was then-No. 1 Tennessee.

Last year Georgia went undefeated into the SEC championship game, lost to Alabama but still made the CFP. The Bulldogs then disposed of Michigan in the Orange Bowl 34-11, then beat the Crimson Tide in a rematch in the national championship game 33-18.

On the injury front, Ohio State’s down a couple of guys on offense, while Georgia’s down a couple of guys on defense. But both teams have plenty of talent with which to fill holes.

This meeting is just the second all-time between these two storied programs. Georgia beat Ohio State in the 1993 Citrus Bowl 21-14.

Ohio State-Georgia By the Numbers

The Buckeyes averaged 493 yards per game on offense this season and held opponents to 304 YPG while playing what Sagarin ranks as the 45th-toughest schedule in college football.

The Bulldogs averaged 492 YPG on offense and held foes to 292 YPG defensively while playing Sagarin’s 27th-toughest schedule.

College Football Betting Trends

Over the last three seasons, the SEC is 5-4 SU but only 3-6 ATS against the Big 10.

Totals Report

• The Overs are 9-3 in Buckeyes games this season and are averaging 64 total points.
• The Unders are 7-5 in Bulldogs games which are averaging 52 points.