Tonight at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs (14-0, 7-7 ATS) will meet the No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs (13-1, 10-3-1 ATS) with the CFP National Championship on the line. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST with ESPN carrying the broadcast.

UGA is gunning for its second straight national championship and fourth all-time. TCU is aiming for its third title, but first since 1938.

While the odds have tilted slightly in TCU’s favor over the past week, Georgia remains a massive favorite.

Georgia vs. TCU Odds

The odds in the table come from DraftKings Sportsbook at noon on Jan. 9.

The point spread opened at Georgia -13.5 and the Dawgs’ moneyline was as short as -550. As of Monday morning, most books listed Georgia at -13, though BetMGM had the line at 12.5 and FanDuel was sticking at 13.5.

The shortest Georgia moneyline was down to -500 (FanDuel and Barstool) while the longest price on UGA was -435 (DraftKings). TCU’s odds to win the national championship ranged from +375 (FanDuel) to +350 (DraftKings, Caesars, BetMGM).

There was also a full-point discrepancy in game total. FanDuel had the lowest total at 62.5 while DraftKings and BetMGM had 63.5.

How did TCU and Georgia get here?

Neither of last weekend’s semifinals went as scripted. A 7.5-point underdog, TCU was able to run all over Michigan’s top-5 defense, putting up 263 yards on the ground at 6.4 yards per carry. They jumped out to an early 21-3 lead thanks to turnovers and favorable calls from the officials, and hung on for a 51-45 shootout victory. The result was all the more surprising with starting running back Kendre Miller exiting the game early with a knee injury.

Senior backup Emari Demercado had a career-high 150 rushing yards, more than double his highest single-game total of the season.

In the Peach Bowl, Georgia trailed Ohio State almost the entire game and even faced a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit before mounting a season-saving comeback. Senior QB Stetson Bennett led the team on a five-play, 72-yard drive in the final three minutes to give UGA a 42-41 lead.

With 51 seconds on the clock, Ohio State was able to match into reasonable field-goal range, but star kicker Noah Ruggles missed a 50-yard attempt as time expired.

Georgia’s struggles against the Buckeyes mostly came in the passing game. Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud was 23/34 for 348 yards, four touchdowns, and no picks.

Kendre Miller listed as “questionable”

TCU’s star running back, who has piled up 1,399 yards and 17 touchdowns at 6.2 yards per carry, remains questionable for tonight’s game due to the knee injury he suffered against the Wolverines.

Whether Miller is able to suit up or not, he figures to be less than 100%. Demercado is likely to play a prominent role on offense again even if Miller is in the lineup.

TCU vs. Georgia Prediction

Running behind one of the nation’s top offensive lines, the Frogs’ backfield has found success against nearly every opponent its faced. Personally, I believed Michigan’s front seven would represent a much stiffer test than the run-of-the-mill defenses TCU had been facing in the Big 12. I was wrong.

The lone team that was able to shutdown the TCU offense was Texas. The Longhorns held TCU to just 17 points - 11 fewer than TCU’s next-lowest total for the season. The Frogs still had 159 rushing yards but needed 44 attempts to get there (3.6 YPC), while QB Max Duggan was held to just 124 passing yards on 29 attempts.

In last season’s title game against Alabama, the Georgia defense was dominant out of the gate. After being torched by the Tide for 24 first-half points in the SEC championship a month prior, UGA held Alabama without a touchdown in the first 30 minutes.

Coming off their worst performance of the season against the Buckeyes, I expect a similar response from the country’s best defense. Unlike Ohio State, TCU only has one real down-field threat on the outside (Quentin Johnston), which makes them much easier to game-plan against. Add in a depleted backfield and this game should resemble the Texas matchup early on.

Most sportsbooks don’t list first-half team totals for this game; Barstool is the exception, where you can get TCU under 12.5 at -108.

Pick: TCU first-half under 12.5 (-108 at Barstool Sportsbook)

Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator’s terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage. If you or a loved one has a gambling problem call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER. Must be 21 or older to gamble.