It will be a battle between SEC opponents when the No. 16 Kentucky Wildcats (10-2) welcome the Georgia Bulldogs (9-2) to Rupp Arena. The game can be seen on ESPN at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, December 31, 2017.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 146 points with Kentucky opening as a 10-point favorite.
Georgia Bulldogs vs. Kentucky Wildcats Free Prediction
In the Bulldogs’ last game, they blew out the Temple Owls, 84-66. The Bulldogs knocked down 28 of their 39 free throws (71.8 percent) and had an offensive rebounding percentage of 47.1 (above their season average of 34.7). Georgia was led by Yante Maten, who was the top scorer from either team with 30 points on 8-for-17 shooting.
The Wildcats won big over the Louisville Cardinals in their last game, 90-61. The Wildcats knocked down 24 of their 30 free throws (80.0 percent) and held the Cardinals to an effective field goal percentage of 0.370 (below their season average of 0.521). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the top scorer from either team with 24 points on 9-for-16 shooting.
It will be a showdown of conflicting tempos as the up-tempo Wildcats will look to push the slower-paced Bulldogs. The Wildcats currently rank 73rd in possessions per game while the Bulldogs are 298th. Moreover, the Bulldogs rank ninth in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.327), while the Wildcats rank 32nd in opponents’ FTA rate (0.176).
Georgia holds records of 9-2 straight up (SU) and 4-4 against the spread (ATS). Of the Bulldogs’ 8 games that accepted bets, five have finished over the O/U total.
Meanwhile, Kentucky owns records of 10-2 SU and 6-6 ATS. Coinciding with Georgia, Wildcats games also tend to finish over the projected point total (63.6 percent).
Hamidou Diallo has averaged 19.8 points and 1.6 steals over the last five games for Kentucky.
After the Wildcats won all three matchups against the Bulldogs last season, these teams will meet for the first time this year. In the last game, Kentucky won 71-60. The Wildcats had a better turnover percentage (11.8 vs. 16.0) and had a better effective field goal percentage (0.425 vs. 0.377).
Georgia Bulldogs at Kentucky Wildcats Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Kentucky, ATS Winner – Kentucky, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Georgia is 2-3 ATS on the road with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Kentucky is 4-5 ATS at home with 5 overs and 3 unders.
Georgia ranks 131st in three pointers allowed per game (22.2) while Kentucky ranks 249th (26.8).
The Bulldogs rank 44th in assists allowed per game (11.5) while the Wildcats rank 120th (13.4).
Georgia ranks 27th in rebounds per game (40.5) while Kentucky ranks 77th in rebounds allowed per game (33.3).
The Bulldogs rank 39th in blocks per game (4.8) while the Wildcats rank 70th in blocks allowed per game (3.1).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Georgia is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
Kentucky is 3-2 ATS with 5 overs over their last five games.
The Bulldogs’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 8.2, up from 7.3 for the season.
During their last five games, the Wildcats have scored an average of 86.0 points per game (4.5 above their season average) and allowed an average of 75.2 points per game (5.5 above their season average).
