The Georgia Bulldogs were rolling until they hit a wall in last week’s loss to the Auburn Tigers. They entered The Plains as the No. 1 team in the country and as a favorite to stay that way. They left after getting rolled in a game where they were never really competitive.
Now they will need to pick themselves up following their first defeat of the season. There’s still a lot left to play for. The Bulldogs haven’t been completely ruled out of the College Football Playoff just yet as they can still do enough to prove they belong.
Georgia has already locked up the SEC East title and they’ll face Alabama for conference supremacy in the SEC championship game. The key will be putting last week’s loss behind them in a hurry with a favorable matchup this week. Kentucky isn’t exactly a pushover as a seven-win team but there is a reason why the Bulldogs are listed as a 21.5-point favorite for this week’s contest. If the Bulldogs struggle in any way, shape or form here, that is going to be a big red flag. Roll here in this spot and people will start to forget about what happened last week at Auburn.
Details
Odds: Georgia -21.5
Date & Time: Saturday November 18th, 2017 – 3:30 PM ET
Location: Sanford Stadium, Athens, Georgia
Broadcast: CBS
Reasons To Bet On The Kentucky Wildcats
The Wildcats are coming off a victory over Vanderbilt that elevated them to 7-3 but the oddsmakers aren’t biting on them in this matchup. Still, the fact that Kentucky has had the success it has had this season can’t be overlooked when you consider they are a three-touchdown underdog this week. Kentucky will be motivated to prove it belongs in this game and there is still a chance that Georgia will deal with somewhat of a hangover following last week’s surprising loss. The Wildcats have reached seven wins in back-to-back years for the first time since 2009 but they still have unfinished business to take care of heading in to the final stretch. Don’t expect Kentucky to be a complete pushover in this week’s contest.
Reasons To Bet On The Georgia Bulldogs
Quarterback Jake Fromm has a lot more to give then he showed last week when he threw for just 184 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Auburn. Fromm had thrown for multiple touchdowns in five of his previous seven games and should bounce back with a much better performance at home this week. Meanwhile, the running back tandem of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel will be motivated to put the offense on their back and combining for just 48 rushing yards last week. That duo is too good to be held in check for a second week in a row, so expect a big game from them. Georgia will attempt to win the time of possession by establishing the ground game early and pounding the Kentucky defense with their 1-2 punch on the ground. If the Bulldogs can establish an early lead then they will be able to run the football as often as they want while taking a lot of pressure off of Fromm and the defense this week.
Outlook
We saw this betting line open up at Georgia -22 but it has since bounced around a little bit. It has dropped as low as -20.5 – crossed the key number of three touchdowns – but it has since climbed back up to -21.5. The total has held steady at 50.5.
It will be on Georgia to respond with a big performance following last week’s loss. While the Bulldogs should bounce back with a win, we aren’t willing to take them minus the points as more than a three-touchdown favorite. Georgia will win this game convincingly but the Wildcats will find a way to cover and avoid a complete embarrassment in their most important game of the season. Kentucky has taken advantage of an easy schedule but they are not an SEC doormat any longer.
Pick: Kentucky +21.5
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