Georgia is hosting Marshall on Saturday afternoon of Week 1. The game will take place at 3:30 P.M. EDT in Athens, Georgia. The Bulldogs are looking to make the College Football Playoff for the fourth time in five years, and their season starts off as massive favorites against Marshall.
The Bulldogs are 38.5-point home favorites in this game on the DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at 52.5 points. This is a preview, prediction, and pick for this Georgia-Marshall non-conference matchup.
Georgia vs. Marshall Preview
Georgia Preview
Georgia has established themselves as one of the elite programs in college football. They won back-to-back national titles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. After missing the College Football Playoff in 2023-24, they made the first expanded CFP last season, but lost their first game to Notre Dame. The Bulldogs were forced to play that game without starting Carson Beck, forcing backup QB Gunnar Stockton into a high-pressure scenario. Stockton played reasonably well in that game against one of the nation’s best defenses with so little experience. Georgia has seen enough in Stockton that they are confident entering this season with Stockton as their starting quarterback. Georgia always has one of the most talented rosters in the country, and they should be in competition for the SEC and a CFP spot once again. The big question is whether or not Stockton can lift them to another national title.
Marshall Preview
Marshall had a special 2024 season, exceeding expectations to win the Sun Belt Conference. However, after that great season, head coach Charles Huff left for Southern Miss, taking with him quarterback Braylon Braxton, while their leading rusher and leading receiver both transferred to Power Four programs. Marshall hired NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson to be their new head coach. This was a well-regarded hire, but this could be a transitional year for the Thundering Herd as they establish their new identity with new players. Their starting quarterback this season is likely to be former Syracuse backup Carlos Del Rio-Wilson. There isn’t much talent on this roster, and they are expected to finish towards the bottom of the Sun Belt.
Georgia vs. Marshall Pick
Georgia will be able to name the score against Marshall, and Kirby Smart is likely to take this game quite seriously. Gunnar Stockton is a brand-new starting quarterback, working with an almost entirely new group of receivers. Smart will want to use this as a chance to work on different things with Stockton to get him more comfortable at the position. Defensively, Smart will want Georgia to dominate. Their defense was nowhere near the level of Georgia’s national title teams last season, and they embarrassingly gave up 21 points in a non-conference game to UMass. The Bulldogs are 0-13 ATS when favorites of 38 points or more under Kirby Smart. Smart doesn’t like to run up the score with his offense, but he will emphasize his defense, shutting down Marshall’s bad offense. The combination of those two factors should lead to this game staying under the listed total of 52.5 points.
