Good teams win; great teams cover. The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs held off the Kentucky Wildcats for a 13-12 victory on Saturday night to move to 3-0, but Georgia didn't come close to covering the spread.
Georgia closed as a 21.5-point favorite on the spread against Kentucky, meaning the top-ranked Bulldogs were favored to win by more than 3 touchdowns in the Georgia vs. Kentucky odds. Georgia was a -2800 favorite on the moneyline to beat Kentucky, with the Wildcats +1200 underdogs to pull off the upset win. The over/under closed at 45 points.
Georgia managed to stave off the upset as nearly 30-to-1 favorites. Of course, the Bulldogs didn't come close to covering the spread of Georgia -21.5. And the game easily went under the total.
Georgia vs Kentucky Odds, Spread, Closing Lines
| Georgia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-21.5 -108 | 44.5 -112 / -108 | -2800 |
| Kentucky Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+21.5 -112 | 44.5 -112 / -108 | +1200 |
- Georgia vs Kentucky Spread: Georgia -21.5
- Georgia vs Kentucky Total: Over/Under 45
- Georgia vs. Kentucky Moneyline: Georgia -2800, Kentucky +1200
Here's how I previewed Georgia vs. Kentucky, including my college football predictions and picks.
Georgia Bulldogs vs Kentucky Wildcats Football
Georgia Football
During Georgia's years of dominance, its calling card has been its defense. But this year, its offense has become a real problem for opposing defenses.
The development of quarterback Carson Beck has taken the Georgia offense to the next level. Beck currently holds the fourth-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy as he's gotten off to a tremendous start.
He'll come into this matchup having completed nearly 71% of his passes while averaging nine yards per completion. He's also producing with an uptick in passing volume this season as the Bulldogs have thrown the ball nearly 56% of the time.
This is all bad news for a Kentucky defense that was torched by a South Carolina offense known for having a mobile quarterback. After last week, the Wildcats rank 113th in opponent completion percentage and 104th in yards per pass allowed.
It doesn't stop there for Georgia as it features one of the deepest running back rooms in the country that's combined to average 6.3 yards per carry. While the Wildcats have held their opposition to just 1.8 yards per carry thus far, it's clear Georgia's rushing attack is a step above.
Georgia should have little issue moving the ball in this one, and it has the potential to put up points in a hurry if Beck remains efficient through the air.
Kentucky Football
On the other hand, the Wildcats will need to reinvent themselves if they want to move the ball against this Georgia defense. Kentucky has run the ball nearly 64% of the time this season, but the matchup and game script don't call for that to be an effective game plan.
The Bulldogs have held their opponents to just two yards per carry, which ranks 13th in the country.
Additionally, Kentucky will likely be playing from behind, which puts the game in the hands of quarterback Brock Vandagriff. Vandagriff, a former Georgia Bulldog, has yet to look polished through the air as he ranks 109th in completion percentage and 91st in yards per completion.
However, if you're going to move the ball on the Bulldogs, taking what you can get through the air is the way to do it. (Georgia is 71st in completion percentage allowed.)
The question that remains is whether Vandagriff will have the time to complete anything but check downs. The Wildcats are 116th in sack rate allowed, and the Bulldogs have allowed just 4.9 yards per completion.
Kentucky's best shot to keep the chains moving in this one is to get the ball out of Vanagriff's hands fast. While that may be the game plan, we may not see the Wildcats get on the board until this one is out of reach.
Regardless, any production from the Wildcats helps our angle.
Georgia vs Kentucky: Bet This Over
The total in this matchup has fallen, and rightfully so. Kentucky is coming off a horrific offensive performance and figures to have a ton of trouble scoring against Georgia.
The market seems to think Kentucky will get on the board, as its team total of 9.5 is juiced to the over. If the Wildcats can hit the 10-point mark, that will be fantastic, because Georgia has the potential to cover this over by itself.
We should see the Bulldogs move the ball through the air early and often, creating a wide margin. However, the scoring may not stop later in the game as their second unit is very talented offensively.
Buy the dip and take the over in what should be a blowout victory for Georgia.
Pick: Over 45.5 (Play to 47.5)
How to Watch Georgia vs Kentucky Live: Start Time, TV Channel, Location
| Location: | Kroger Field |
| Date: | Saturday, Sept. 14 |
| Kickoff Time: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ABC |
Georgia vs Kentucky Betting Trends
- 60% of the bets are on Georgia to cover the spread against Kentucky while 95% of the money is on the same side.
- 89% of the bets are on the over. 96% of the money is on the over.
Georgia vs Kentucky Weather
