Georgia football opens as double-digit favorite over Texas in Sugar Bowl

ATHENS — Georgia football has opened as an 11 1/2-point favorite over Texas in the Sugar Bowl, according to VegasInsider.com.

The No. 5-ranked Bulldogs (11-2) play the No. 15-ranked Longhorns (9-4) at 8:45 p.m. on Jan. 1 in the New Orleans SuperDome, site of one of the prestigious New Year’s Six Bowls.

The Orange Bowl (No. 1 Alabama 13-0 vs. No. 4 Oklahoma 12-1, at 8 p.m.) and the Cotton Bowl (No. 2 Clemson 13-0 vs. No. 3 Notre Dame 12-0, at 4 p.m.) are hosting the College Football Playoff Semifinals on Dec. 29.

The other New Year’s Six Bowl matchups feature:

• No. 10 Florida (9-3) vs. No. 7 Michigan (10-2) in the Peach Bowl, noon Dec. 29

• No. 8 UCF (12-0) vs. No. 11 LSU (9-3) in the Fiesta Bowl, 1 p.m. Jan. 1

• No. 9 Washington (10-3) vs. No. 6 Ohio State (12-1) in the Rose Bowl, 5 p.m. on Jan. 1

This will be Georgia’s 10th trip to the Sugar Bowl, and it’s the Bulldogs first since a 41-10 win over Hawaii in the 2008 event.

Against the spread

Georgia is 8-5 against the spread this season, beating the line in four of the past five games including the SEC Championship Game.

The Bulldogs were a 12-point underdog against Alabama, but Georgia easily covered, controlling most of the game before falling 35-28.

Texas is 5-7 against the spread with a push, but the Longhorns have failed to cover in their past two games.

Texas was a 15.5-point favorite over Kansas in its regular season finale, but it managed only to beat the Jayhawks 24-17. In the Big 12 Championship Game on Saturday, the Longhorns were a 9.5-point underdog and lost to Oklahoma 39-27.