Trent Reinsmith
- Date & Location: December 31 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: ESPN
- Teams: No. 2 Michigan vs. No, 3 Georgia
The 2021 Capital One Orange Bowl sees the No. 2 ranked Michigan Wolverines facing the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs. Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida hosts the December 31 game, which is one of the two 2021-2022 College Football National Semifinals games. The other playoff game is the Cotton Bowl, which sees the No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide against the No. 4 Cincinnati Bearcats. Like the Orange Bowl, that game takes place on December 31.
Michigan went 12-1 during the NCAA football season. The team’s only loss came in late October when the Michigan State Spartans beat them 37-33. The Wolverines finished the season by outscoring their last three opponents — Maryland, Ohio State and Iowa 143-48. Georgia was on the verge of a perfect season, but the Bulldogs lost on December 4 to the Alabama Crimson Tide. The 41-24 setback was the only blemish on Georgia’s 12-1 record.
Before we take a look at the 2021 Capital One Orange Bowl matchup, be sure to check out our recommendations for betting sites for NCAAF games as well as the betting odds for the college football Bowl games.
Orange Bowl Odds
Michigan vs. Georgia
If we’re looking at momentum, Michigan has more heading into this game. The Wolverines are coming off a 42-27 win over Ohio State and a 42-3 win over Iowa heading into this game. Georgia’s most recent game was its defeat at the hands of Alabama.
Don’t expect a lot of running yards in this matchup. The Bulldogs allowed 2.7 yards per carry this season, and the Wolverines were almost as strong, giving up 3.5 yards. As for passing, Michigan was No. 4 in the Big Ten, where it gave up 194.7 yards per game. Georgia had the No. 1 passing defense in the SEC, allowing 172.2 yards per game.
On the offensive side of the ball, Georgia averaged 247 yards per game and Michigan had an average of 228 yards per game.
No. 2 @UMichFootball. No. 3 @GeorgiaFootball.
See you on New Year's Eve 👀#CFBPlayoff x #CapitalOneOrangeBowl pic.twitter.com/JUi0pyl5m5
— Capital One Orange Bowl (@OrangeBowl) December 5, 2021
The teams will battle this game in the trenches and at close quarters as both teams love to run the ball. Georgia will look to get Zamir White and James Cook yardage from the backfield, while Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum will get the work for the Wolverines.
If the teams decide to go with the pass, Michigan QB Cade McNamara threw for 2,470 yards, while Georgia’s Stetson Bennett had 2,325 yards in the air. Bennett threw for 24 touchdowns. McNamara had 15 passing touchdowns.
Orange Bowl Best Bets
Pick Georgia to win. The Wolverines can win this game and the Michigan team is a very live underdog in this matchup, but I don’t expect Georgia to get beaten two games in a row. Look for Georgia to win in the hopes of getting a shot at redemption against Alabama.
Pick the under. Barring some unexpected changes in approach, I think these teams will stick to their running games for the majority of this contest. With that, I expect a tightly contested and low-scoring game.
See below for the best-rated sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
