Notre Dame vs. Georgia Expert Picks: Player Props, Touchdown Predictions & More

The Sugar Bowl kicks off this afternoon at 4 p.m. ET at. Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are 1-point favorites against the Georgia Bulldogs as the two college football powers compete for the final spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

We've rounded up our Notre Dame vs. Georgia expert picks, complete with a game prediction, player props, and touchdown scorer predictions.

Notre Dame vs. Georgia expert picks

Pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale.

• Against the spread pick: Georgia +1 (-110 via Caesars) vs. Notre Dame ⭐⭐⭐
• Player prop pick: Jeremiyah Love prop pick: Over 63.5 rushing yards (-115 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Touchdown scorer prediction: Trevor Etienne to score 2+ touchdowns (+500 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐

Don't miss Mike Spector's Notre Dame vs. Georgia parlay picks for a shot at a +1230 payday!

Best Notre Dame vs. Georgia picks

Georgia to cover the spread: +1 ⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: -110 via Caesars | Implied probability: 52.38%

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The low point spread is a big product of the injury to Georgia starting QB Carson Beck, as new Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton has only been on the field for 86 snaps this season. It's a major factor as to why the Bulldogs are so low on the college football championship odds.

However, Stockton calmly completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards in the second half of the team’s SEC Championship win over Texas. And now he's benefitted from having three-plus weeks to bring him up to speed and to get reps with the starters.

However, to take pressure off Stockton, Georgia has to feel confident in a rejuvenated running game that saw Trevor Etienne run for 94 yards and two touchdowns against Texas.

Even the Bulldogs’ pass protection stepped up in a major way. The offensive line entered the SEC Championship with 19 pressures allowed in its three previous games (one was against Tennessee), improving upon the 37 pressures they allowed in the three games prior.

Notre Dame vs. Georgia prediction made by Mike Spector.

Jeremiyah Love Over 63.5 rushing yards ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: -115 via bet365 | Implied probability: 53.49%

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Love has run for at least 99 yards in four consecutive games. Against the Indiana Hoosiers, he ran eight times for 108 yards and a touchdown.

He’s averaging 7.4 yards per carry, and though he’s yet to carry the ball more than 16 times in a game, he’s managed more than 5.0 yards per carry in 10 games this year.

The Bulldogs’ defense is allowing only 129.3 rushing yards per game this season, but it's allowing 172.3 over its last three games. As long as the Fighting Irish don’t fall too far behind, which they shouldn’t with Beck out, Love will get enough carries to clear this number.

The total for this prop is set at either 63.5 or 67.5 at four of the five best sports betting sites. Since bet365 is offering the best price for the lower total, it’s the best place to wager.

Notre Dame vs. Georgia player prop picks made by Phil Wood.

Trevor Etienne 2+ touchdowns ⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: +500 via BetMGM | Implied probability: 16.67%

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Gunner Stockton will make his first collegiate start against the Fighting Irish in this high-stakes showdown. The sophomore signal-caller has had weeks to prepare following his SEC Championship cameo, but it's still unlikely Kirby Smart and Co. lean on him as much as they did his predecessor. As such, we expect the running game to play a big part in Georgia's game plan.

Trevor Etienne put the Bulldogs' offense on his back in the conference title game, with 16 carries for 94 yards and a pair of scores. His 111 carries on the season are second to Nate Frazier's 129, but the former has played fewer games. As such, Etienne's touch count is higher on a per-game basis, and he leads the program in touchdowns with nine.

This is a value play. Etienne has three multi-touchdown games in nine outings. One third of his appearances in 2024-25 have seen him find pay dirt on more than one occasion, double the implied probability (16.67%) offered by our best sportsbooks. He's scored two-plus touchdowns in three of his last six contests, so we like his chances to do it again under the bright lights of the Caesars Superdome.

Notre Dame vs. Georgia anytime touchdown scorer predictions made by Gabe Henderson.

CFP Sugar Bowl game info

• When: Thursday, Jan. 2
• Kickoff: 4 p.m. ET
• Where: Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
• How to watch: ESPN
• Weather: Indoors
• Favorite: Georgia -1.5 (+100 via BetMGM)

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