Georgia vs. Arkansas SEC football betting odds: JT Daniels or D'Wan Mathis at quarterback for Dawgs?

William Hill sportsbook college football oddsmakers have listed No. 4 Georgia as a 26.5-point favorite for Saturday's season and SEC opener at conference doormat Arkansas even though Dawgs coach Kirby Smart himself doesn't yet know who will start under center. Then again, it may not matter against a Razorbacks team that is on a 19-game SEC losing streak (8-11 against the spread).

Wake Forest transfer Jamie Newman was to be Georgia's starting QB this season and was among the Heisman Trophy favorites, but the dual threat shockingly opted out in early September to prepare for the NFL Draft. It was then assumed that USC transfer and former touted prospect JT Daniels would be the guy, but he has not been medically cleared yet from a torn ACL that ended his 2019 season with the Trojans in Week 1.

"We hope JT will be cleared by Saturday, officially," Smart said this week.

Smart likely will not name his starter before the 4 p.m. ET kickoff and it could be redshirt freshman D'Wan Mathis who gets the call despite being third-string only three weeks ago. Via sister site 247Sports, Mathis was the No. 11 pro-style quarterback in the nation in the Class of 2019 (No. 1 was current Oklahoma starter and Heisman contender Spencer Rattler) out of Oak Park High School in Belleville, Mich.

Mathis did play in the 2019 G-Day spring game and was 15-for-28 passing for 113 yards. He then spent the regular season on the Scout team. Georgia also has a new offensive coordinator in Todd Monken, who spent last season as the Cleveland Browns' offensive coordinator.

New Hogs head coach Sam Pittman knows Mathis well considering he spent the past four years at Georgia's offensive line coach. According to Dawgs 247 writer Jake Rowe, the Bulldogs will play both quarterbacks if Daniels is cleared.

"I can guarantee you not you or us or anybody is going to know who that starting quarterback is going to be for Georgia until he runs out there," Pittman said this week to the media. "We know what kind of arm (Mathis) has, but he would be maybe a little bit more of … a dual threat, because he certainly can run."

The last two years, Arkansas entered the season with questions mark at quarterback, but Pittman has a clear-cut starter in Florida transfer Feleipe Franks, who is a team captain. Franks' 2019 season with the Gators was cut short due to injury and when Kyle Trask played well in his place, Franks decided to leave.

Franks played two games vs. Georgia with UF, both in Jacksonville. In 2018, the Gators were beaten 36-17 as Franks was 13-for-21 for 105 yards with a TD and a pick while rushing for a score. The year before, Franks was a terrible 7-for-19 for 30 yards with a pick in a 42-7 blowout loss.

Georgia's Smart is 4-0 straight up and 3-1 ATS in season openers. The average spread has been Dawgs at -21.6 and they have won by an average score of 34.8-10.0. The lone non-cover was 2018 in a rout of Austin Peay with a massive spread. UGA is 10-4 all-time SU vs. Arkansas but the schools haven't met in six years.

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