Patrick Towles and the Kentucky Wildcats battle Peyton Barber and the Auburn Tigers in a game that will feature two of the SEC’s best players to start this young season. Auburn (3-2) comes into this game hoping to right the course. While the Tigers have had their moments this season, recent weeks have been dismal, with the team losing two straight. The game kicks off Thursday, Oct 15 at 7:00 p.m. ET and will be shown on ESPN.
In its last game before the bye, Kentucky defeated Eastern Kentucky 34-27. Dorian Baker had a huge game in the victory, grabbing eight receptions for 86 yards and two TDs. Blake Bone had 85 receiving yards on seven catches. Auburn also won its game before the bye, defeating San Jose State 35-21. Peyton Barber had a great game running the ball for the Tigers, rushing 28 times for 147 yards and five TDs.
Auburn is a small one-point favorite as they take on the Wildcats.
Even with a positive Straight Up (SU) record of 4-1, the Wildcats have not been an excellent bet so far this year, going 2-3 Against The Spread (ATS). Kentucky’s secondary could have an edge on the Tigers and their struggling passing game. Auburn averages 153.8 yards per game through the air, ranking 114th in the nation.
As for their opponent, the Tigers are a terrible bet ATS with a perfect record of 0-5 to go along with a 3-2 SU record. Auburn, only allowing 9.6 yards per pass, has a good chance of shutting down its competitor’s aerial offense. Auburn has been good at avoiding penalties this season. The team only receives 4.4 per game on average, the ninth-fewest in the country.
Predictions: SU Winner – Auburn, ATS Winner – Auburn
Notes
Kentucky is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games.
Kentucky is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
Kentucky is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home.
Kentucky is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games at home.
Auburn is 2-0 SU when leading at the half this season. Kentucky is 3-0 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Since the start of last season, Kentucky is only 4-7 SU against SEC opponents, while Auburn is 4-6 SU against in-conference foes.
