The annual SEC vs. ACC showdown in the Capital One Orange Bowl features the 12-1 Georgia Bulldogs and the undefeated ACC champion Florida State Seminoles in a game that had the potential to be exciting but has been decimated by opt-outs.
Can Florida State overcome the odds to upset Georgia despite a depleted team? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and an Orange Bowl prediction.
Orange Bowl Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. Want to take advantage of the Orange Bowl odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page to place bets in your state.
- Spread
Georgia -17.5 - Moneyline
Georgia -1000, Florida State +650 - Over/Under
44.5 points - Game time
4:00 p.m. ET - Location
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL - Predicted Weather at Kick
66 degrees, 8 mph winds, cloudy and cool - How to Watch
ESPN, FuboTV
Fancy Florida State to pull off the upset on Saturday afternoon? Are the Bulldogs the team to back? If you’re going to take advantage of the Orange Bowl odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
It’s the first meeting between the two sides in twenty years, continuing a series that dates back to the 50s and 60s in which Georgia holds a 6-4-1 head-to-head advantage. This could have conceivably been a top-quality College Football Playoff clash to renew the rivalry, but instead we’re looking at a full-strength Bulldogs team against a depleted Florida State outfit.
That seriously skews the narrative, with Georgia coming into the game as a 17.5-point favorite, and the possibility of them smashing through that spread. They’ve been a double-digit favorite in all-bar-two games this year, only covering four times. Florida State covered the only game they were an underdog — the ACC title game — but this is a vastly different scenario.
Games involving the two teams have come under the total points line in their last two outings, and it’s a subsequently low line available from the latest Orange Bowl odds. With so many defensive departures from the Seminoles, however, Georgia could almost cover the spread themselves without any scoring input from Florida State. Our prediction favors the over.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
Georgia Depth Chart | Florida State Depth Chart
- QB Carson Beck, Georgia
- QB Brock Glenn, Florida State
- RB Daijun Edwards, Georgia
- RB Kendall Milton, Georgia
- RB Cash Jones, Georgia
- RB Rodney Hill, Florida State
- RB Caziah Holmes, Florida State
- RB CJ Campbell, Florida State
- WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Georgia
- WR Dominic Lovett, Georgia
- WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia
- WR Darion Williamson, Florida State
- WR Destyn Hill, Florida State
- WR Hykeem Williams, Florida State
- TE Brock Bowers, Georgia
- TE Oscar Delp, Georgia
- TE Kyle Morlock, Florida State
- TE Markeston Douglas, Florida State
There are four college football games on Saturday to compile your DFS team from. If you’re new to DFS, Fanduel Superflex contests require you to select a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, and a “Superflex” that can be any of the above or a tight end.
With so many Florida State opt-outs and NFL Draft declarations, your Orange Bowl picks are going to have a significant Georgia flavor. The top-scoring Seminoles player who will suit up on Saturday is running back Caziah Holmes, who has four touchdowns this season and has tallied a grand total of 45.2 fantasy points in 2023. He’ll feature prominently.
At the time of writing, there’s still some potential for flux in your Orange Bowl picks. Tight end Brock Bowers is a legitimate flex option who, despite missing substantial time with injury, has still tallied 741 total yards, seven touchdowns, and 116.1 fantasy points. While he’s at the forefront of the Bulldogs passing attack, he may still not be in action, with his status unconfirmed.
Focusing on players who will be available, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck is a legitimate QB contender for your DFS lineup. He was the QB2 in the SEC East this season with 262.22 points, and with the Florida State secondary missing almost all its key components, there’s a chance he put up eye-popping numbers. RB Daijun Edwards is another potential option for this game.
Prediction for the Orange Bowl
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the Orange Bowl odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction.
Neither of these two teams expected to be playing in this game rather than the College Football Playoff, but has the injustice Florida State feels at being denied entry to the final four fuelled a desire to showcase how good they can be regardless?
MORE: CFB Bowl Game Opt-Out Tracker
Well, no. When we ranked the best games of the 2023 bowl season, this game featured very highly with the expectation of a furious Florida State team coming out and playing angrily against the reigning national champions, proving that they fully deserved to represent the ACC in the College Football Playoff.
Instead, an offense that ranked 13th in the nation with 37.0 points per game will be without their starting two running backs, both their star wide receivers, and their starting tight end, and will be powered by a third-string freshman quarterback who could muster just 55 passing yards while completing 38.1% of his passes against a Louisville team that just slipped to a bowl loss.
Meanwhile, a defense that has been amongst the most ferocious in the nation and allowed just 15.9 points per game this season will be even more obliterated than the offense if that’s possible. Three starting players in the secondary– Renardo Green, Akeem Dent, and Jarrion Jones — have all opted out alongside starting DT Fabien Lovett and pass rush phenom Jared Verse.
By contrast, Georgia will be close to full strength — pending a decision on star tight end Bowers. Quarterback Beck has spurned the NFL for another go-around with the Bulldogs, and he’ll lead a strong offense. The defense has seen some transfer portal losses but maintains a large part of a unit that allowed just 16.6 points per game this year. It should be a comfortable win.
Prediction: Georgia 38, Florida State 16
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