Mississippi defeated Tulane in a rematch a few days ago, and oddsmakers seemed to think the Rebels would get nearly the same result as Georgia’s first game in another rematch of the Sugar Bowl.
FanDuel Sportsbook’s Sugar Bowl odds opened with the Bulldogs (12-1) as a -6.5 favorite, and bettors have moved that line to -7. Mississippi State (12-1) led Georgia in the opener in Athens but fell 43-35, losing 17-0 in the fourth quarter.
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However, the Kaiser Superdome is no Sanford Stadium, and the Rebels defeated Tulane by 31 points, just four points shy of the same game in September. New head coach Pete Golding has seamlessly taken over the program over the past few weeks at least without slowing down, while Georgia has rested since its SEC Championship Game win over Alabama.
By far the most surprising part of the odds is that the over/under is only 56.5 points. After these teams previously combined for 78 points, I feel like this is a low score. The Bulldogs have been playing better lately, with Georgia’s defense not giving up more than 10 points in the last four games and averaging nearly 30 points per game. Mississippi State, meanwhile, hasn’t played a tie-scoring game since its victory over Oklahoma State in late October.
Goldin and his staff face the difficult task of keeping this team as focused as it was in the first round of the playoffs while also playing loose and free. Every analyst at ESPN is already predicting Georgia to win and even win the national championship. After all the chaos and turmoil caused by a baby boy’s former coach, can the Rebels win all over America and rock the boat?
It’s going to be a really great time in New Orleans.
