UGA Considered a Major Favorite over Irish

ATHENS - Georgia opened as a significant favorite over No. 7 Notre Dame on Sunday. 

The Bulldogs started the day as 12.5 point favorites over the Irish, but the line moved quickly to two touchdowns. Kirby Smart is 27-2 straight up as a double-digit favorite (2016 Vanderbilt +14; 2018 Texas +13.5), which indicates the Bulldogs are probably in pretty good shape on that front. 

Being a 14-point favorite gives the Bulldogs about a 85.1% chance of winning on Saturday night. Notre Dame has not been a 14-point underdog since playing at USC in 2016 (+17.5). Kelly’s teams have been underdogs 27 times. Notre Dame is 10-17 in those contests. 

But UGA’s status as favorites is the most Kelly has faced in his time at Notre Dame. Only once have the Irish straight up as double-digit dogs under Brian Kelly. That game in 2012 against Oklahoma as 11.5-point underdogs. 

To put things in perspective, Notre Dame was a 10.5-point underdog to Clemson at the Cotton Bowl in Texas last winter. The Irish were ten-point underdogs against Alabama in the National Title Game in 2012.