Two schools that like to run the football, Head Coach Gus Malzahn and the Auburn Tigers (+15) are gearing up to face off against their SEC foe No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (-15) at Sanford Stadium. The game will begin at 7:00 p.m. ET and fans can catch it live by tuning in to ESPN.
Auburn Tigers at Georgia Bulldogs Betting Preview
In this Saturday Southeastern matchup, Georgia has been projected as the big favorite and the team’s currently giving up 15 points. The Tigers are also receiving +510 moneyline odds while the Bulldogs are -750. Vegas has determined the over/under (O/U) to be 50 points. Multiple good in-game betting opportunities may present themselves during the match.
Sharp bettors are hammering the Dawgs, as the opening line was -14. The total has yet to move after it was set initially at 50.
The less-than-stellar Tigers are 4-5 against the spread (ATS) and have lost 12.0 units so far in 2018. They’ve been a good under bet and have recorded an O/U mark of 3-6. The Bulldogs have gained 1.3 units this season. The team is 5-3-1 ATS and has an even O/U record of 4-4.
The Tigers are 6-3 straight up (SU), including 3-3 SU against SEC opponents. The Bulldogs are 8-1 SU overall and 6-1 SU in conference play.
Both teams enter the matchup on two-game winning streaks. The Tigers made it two in a row after a 28-24 victory over Texas A&M last week. The Tigers defense allowed the Aggies to run for 201 yards on 47 rush attempts, including two rush TDs. On the offensive side of the ball, Jarrett Stidham completed 18-of-29 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns. JaTarvious Whitlow (16 rushing yards on eight attempts) led the running attack. Darius Slayton (eight receptions, 107 yards) and Ryan Davis (five catches, 75 yards) handled the receiving duties in the win.
Georgia just got a 34-17 win over Kentucky. Jake Fromm completed 14-of-20 passes for 113 yards and one touchdown. Elijah Holyfield (115 rushing yards on 18 attempts, one TD) and D’Andre Swift (156 yards on 16 carries, two TDs) mounted the running game as Jeremiah Holloman (four receptions, 39 yards) and Riley Ridley (three catches, 37 yards) led the pass-catching corps in the win.
Auburn has run the ball on 55.5 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Georgia has an overall rush percentage of 62.1 percent. The Tigers have run for 155 yards per game (including 121 per game versus Southeastern opponents) and have 18 scores on the ground this year. The Dawgs are logging 234 rushing yards per game (223 in conference) and have 20 total rush TDs.
The Tigers offense has logged 222 yards per contest through the air overall (224 per game against conference opposition) and has 11 passing scores so far. The Dawgs have recorded 222 pass yards per outing (222.1 in the SEC) and have 19 total pass TDs.
Auburn has let opponents run for an average of 134 yards and pass for 222 yards per game. The Georgia defense has given up 172.3 yards per game to opposing passers and 134.2 yards per game to opposing runners. Both teams allow similar adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) to the opposition, as the Tigers have given up an ANY/A of 4.77 to opposing QBs, while the Dawgs are yielding an ANY/A of 4.71.
Offensively, Stidham has amassed 1,738 passing yards this year, and has completed 61 percent of his 242 attempts with nine passing scores and four interceptions. Stidham’s got a 6.15 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number is 8.93 over the last two games.
JaTarvious Whitlow, Darius Slayton and Seth Williams have combined to account for 513 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns over the last two outings.
In the home locker room, Jake Fromm has completed 113-of-168 passes for 1,522 yards, 14 TDs and four INTs. Fromm’s ANY/A sits at 8.71 for the season and 9.51 across his last two games.
We’re expecting the Dawgs to control tempo by pounding the defense with their running backs. Jeremiah Holloman (273 receiving yards, two TDs this season) has stepped up lately, but D’Andre Swift (518 rush yards, six rush TDs, 148 receiving yards, one receiving TD) and Elijah Holyfield (603 rush yards, five rush TDs) have been significant focal points in the Georgia offense.
Betting Prediction: Auburn Tigers at Georgia Bulldogs
SU Winner – Auburn, ATS Winner – Auburn, O/U – Over
Click Here to Start Betting Today!
Notes
Team Betting Trends
The O/U for Auburn’s previous game was set at 46.5. The over cashed in the team’s 28-24 victory over Texas A&M.
Auburn has produced 4.1 yards per carry across its last three games and 4.3 over its last two.
Georgia has averaged 5.2 yards per carry over its last three outings and 5.7 over its past two.
The Georgia offense has lost five fumbles this season while Auburn has lost eight.
Over its last three contests, Auburn is 2-1 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
The O/U for Georgia’s last matchup going into it was 47.5. The over cashed in the team’s 34-17 triumph over Kentucky.
Over its last three matches, Georgia is 2-1 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
The Tigers offense has registered eight pass plays of 40 yards or more, while the Bulldogs have accounted for six such plays.
The Auburn defense has allowed seven pass plays of 40 or more yards, while Georgia has given up three such plays.
The Auburn offense has created four rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Georgia has created 19 such runs.
The Tigers defense has allowed nine rushing plays of 20 yards or more, while the Bulldogs have given up four such runs.
The Auburn defensive unit has more than twice as many sacks as Georgia this year (29 to 14).
+++++
