In one of the more premier college football matchups that this Saturday has to offer, a pair of SEC foes will clash on the gridiron as the Georgia Bulldogs take on the Kentucky Wildcats with a chance for major bragging rights. With that being said, let's check out our college football odds series where our Georgia-Kentucky prediction and pick will be revealed.
With an unblemished 10-0 record and occupying the number-one slot in the recent College Football Playoff rankings, the Georgia Bulldogs are fresh off a decisive 45-19 win over Mississippi State as the game was never in question for the Dawgs. Already equipped with a top-10 offense and one of the five best defenses in the entire nation, Georgia does not display many weaknesses when stepping out onto the football field.
When it comes to the Kentucky Wildcats, they are coming off of a disheartening defeat to lowly Vanderbilt. In the 24-21 loss, the Wildcats failed to do much of anything right. After starting off the season at 4-0 and seeing themselves skyrocket as high as #7 in the polls, UK has since been defeated four separate times and is spiraling at the worst possible time.
Here are the Georgia-Kentucky college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Georgia-Kentucky Odds
Georgia: -22.5 (-110)
Kentucky: +22.5 (-110)
Over: 47.5 (-110)
Under: 47.5 (-110)
Why Georgia Could Cover The Spread
Despite being a flawless 10-0 on the season, Georgia is surprisingly only have recorded a record of 6-4 when it comes to covering the spread. However, keep in mind, there aren't many teams as dominant as the Bulldogs throughout the entire country, and it is important to note that they are usually tasked with covering massive spreads in large part due to going up against much-lesser competition week in and week out.
Regardless, there are many reasons why the ‘Dawgs should have the upper hand in this one, but the biggest reason that Georgia will cover the spread will be because of their experience at the quarterback position. Returning from the national championship season a year ago, QB Stetson Bennett is having himself an extremely productive season with career-highs in completion percentage (67.6) and already with 2,895 yards through the air. Alas, Bennett holds a big advantage over the Wildcats' defense as he has played at the highest levels of what college football has to offer and should be able to prevail when faced with adversity on Saturday.
Not to mention, Georgia has talent galore at seemingly almost every single position. Whether it's one of the best tight ends in the country in Brock Bowers running vertically down the field or defensive back Malaki Starks being a lurking ballhawk in the secondary, the ‘Dawgs cannot go wrong when choosing who will step up. If the Bulldogs can hit the Wildcats with some quick scores and eventually keep the Kentucky defense on the field more often than not by dominating time of possession, then they should have no trouble in winning this one by at least three touchdowns.
Why Kentucky Could Cover The Spread
Without a doubt, the second half of Kentucky's season has been disappointing to say the least. Even though the Wildcats have faced some rough times of late, Kentucky has been a pretty solid squad at home despite losing to Vanderbilt last Saturday. With the bad taste fresh in their mouth, it wouldn't be surprising if the ‘Cats came out with an increased determination against the defending champs.
Despite feeling discouraged, the season is not a loss for Kentucky and can even be dramatically changed if they can find a way to fluster and overwhelm the Bulldogs. Currently, with an identical record against the spread as Georgia at 6-4 overall, Kentucky's best chance to cover in this one will like their counterparts, come down to their field general under center.
At the top of many NFL Draft analysts' boards, QB Will Levis possesses all of the tools to be a great signal caller at the next level and has certainly looked the part so far this season for the Wildcats. Through the team's first ten games played up to this point, Levis has burned opposing defenses for 2,012 yards through the air while connecting with his pass catchers for 16 total touchdown strikes. Even with Levis displaying some struggles in the past couple of weeks, his pure arm talent alone could give Georgia's defense fits.
In addition, it will be vital for Kentucky to get off to a fast start. Against the Commodores, the Wildcats trailed in the game's entirety up until the fourth quarter. Simply put, UK cannot afford to fall behind early against a superior Georgia squad. If anything, the ‘Cats must do their best in implementing a strong running game that has averaged a respectable 120 yards per game to keep a dynamic Bulldogs offense off the field.
Final Georgia-Kentucky Prediction & Pick
As much as Kentucky would like to shock the college football world this weekend, they most likely won't have enough firepower to overcome a Georgia team that has the talent advantage at almost every single position. Side with the ‘Dawgs and you may become richer.
Final Georgia-Kentucky Prediction & Pick: Georgia -22.5 (-110)