Game: Charlotte 49ers at Georgia Bulldogs

Date: November 22nd at 12:45 PM ET

Where to Watch: SEC Network

Looking at this matchup before the season, it was already clear Charlotte would be in for a likely loss—and that hasn’t changed. The 49ers will need a miracle as they head to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs. Charlotte hasn’t won since Week 3, their only victory of the year, and now sits at 1-9. The offense continues to struggle, producing just 284.2 yards per game (131st in FBS) and 14.1 points per game (132nd). The defense has been even worse, allowing 477.2 yards per game (134th) and 37.7 points per game (132nd).

Georgia, meanwhile, has hit its stride. The Bulldogs enter at 9-1 with six straight wins and sit 4th in the nation. They’ve been strong on both sides of the ball, averaging 429.9 yards per game (27th) and 34.2 points per game (18th), while the defense gives up just 319.7 yards per game (20th) and 20.2 points per game (19th).

There’s no way around it—this is a massive longshot for Charlotte. But that doesn’t make the game unwatchable, and it certainly doesn’t make it unbettable.

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Weather

Athens, Georgia will be unusually warm for this time of year, with temperatures in the mid-70s. Expect a mostly cloudy day with a modest 25% chance of rain. Winds should stay mild, averaging around 7 mph with occasional gusts up to 15 mph.

Betting Overview

This line opened with Georgia favored at -44.5, but has inched slightly toward Charlotte, with most books now listing it between -43.5 and -44. The moneyline has been taken off the board. The total has also dipped, moving from 54.5 down to the 52.5–53.5 range.

Power Ratings 

  • ESPN FPI: These teams are at complete opposite ends of the spectrum on any model, but we have Georgia as the 4th rated team in FPI, giving 22.8 points to the FBS average.  Charlotte finds themselves all the way at 135th receiving 22.8 points from the FBS average.  Using this we should see Georgia around 45-to-46-point favorites.
  • SP+: Georgia is slightly lower in this rating at 6th, but are giving 22.4 to the FBS average, while Charlotte gets a 1 spot bump at 134th receiving 23.5 points from the FBS average.  This would indicate Georgia would still be around a 45 to 46 point favorite.

Betting Trends

Charlotte enters this matchup at 2-6-2 ATS, with a 1-0-2 mark on the road. In non-conference play, the 49ers are 1-2 ATS. Totals have leaned toward the over in Charlotte games, hitting in 6 of 10 overall and 2 of 3 on the road. However, in non-conference contests, the under has been slightly more common, hitting in 2 of 3.

Georgia, after covering last week against Texas, is now an even 5-5 ATS with a 3-3 record at home. In non-conference action, the Bulldogs are 0-2 ATS. Totals have also split 5-5 overall and 3-3 at home, with non-conference games splitting 1-1.

Final Thoughts

This is certainly a bizarre matchup for this late in the college football regular season. Georgia doesn’t typically keep the throttle wide open in the second half of these types of games, which is likely why we’ve seen the line move slightly toward Charlotte. I think Charlotte can manage to cover here, even though it will likely be close. The total depends entirely on whether Charlotte can put points on the board, but that number is far too much of a toss-up to feel confident in either direction.