Georgia Bulldogs College Football Title Bets Pour In, Sportsbooks Report Regional Bias

Posted on: August 28, 2019, 01:51h. 

Last updated on: August 28, 2019, 02:19h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

The Georgia Bulldogs are generating significant handle for the College Football Playoff National Championship at sportsbooks across the country.

Georgia Bulldogs college football odds
Led by QB Jake Fromm, the Georgia Bulldogs are taking a bite out of the college football betting excitement surrounding the Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson Tigers. (Image: Dale Zanine/USA TODAY Sports)

The Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson Tigers might have met in three of the last four College Football Playoffs (CFP) title games, but it’s Georgia – which lost the 2017 season championship to ‘Bama by a field goal – that’s producing the most money for the 2019-20 college football season.

ESPN gaming reporter David Purdum spoke with eight sportsbooks across the country, and when he tallied up the figures, it’s the Bulldogs delivering oddsmakers the most bets.

Caesars Palace in Las Vegas was one such book, the casino saying Georgia tops its list of cash-risked for the national championship. Oklahoma is next, Alabama third, Ohio State fourth, and Clemson fifth.

In terms of ticket slips, the order is a bit different, with Ohio State leading the way. The Buckeyes are followed by Georgia, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Texas – all five teams with massive, passionate fan bases.

As for the current title odds, Clemson and Alabama are the Las Vegas favorites at 5/2, a $100 bet netting just $250. Georgia is next (6/1), then it’s Michigan and Oklahoma rounding out the top five at 14/1.

Tidle Bets Roll

The college football season officially kicked off last weekend with No. 8 Florida’s win over Miami 24-20. But the rest of the Top 25 action gets underway Thursday through Sunday night.

With the bulk of the play ready to formally begin, big wagers from pro bettors are coming in to sportsbooks across the country. ESPN says CG Technology and MGM have each printed a $10,000 ticket on Alabama.

MGM also took $8,000 on Clemson – which would net $20,000 on those 5/2 odds. CG, which operates mobile sports betting in Nevada, as well as sportsbooks for such Las Vegas casinos as The Venetian and Palazzo, Cosmopolitan, and Palms, says its largest worst-case scenario at this point is a Notre Dame or LSU title.

Oddsmakers at the Ameristar Casino in Iowa, which is just 50 miles away from Lincoln, Nebraska, says they already have a $250,000 liability on the Cornhuskers. In Pennsylvania, it’s unsurprisingly the Penn State Nittany Lions garnering the most title betting attention.

Week One Preview

Don’t expect too many surprises this weekend, as just one game features two Top 25 programs.

That game comes Saturday night, when No. 11 Oregon plays No. 16 Auburn at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The “home” team Tigers are presently favored by 3.5 points.

The first week is tricky for oddsmakers, as ranked schools traditionally warm up against an inferior program. It makes setting lines most difficult, and bettors picked their poison, with Illinois spotting Akron 17 points. CG Technology said it took a $55,000 bet for the Illini to cover that would net $50,000, and the Westgate SuperBook took $30,000.

Finally, everyone loves an underdog, and Rutgers is certainly that at 10,000/1 for the national championship. The SuperBook says it’s printed three tickets on the Scarlet Knights. Even if the wager is just a $1, the bet would bet $10,000.

But word of caution: over their last four years, Rutgers is 19-42.