As the Georgia Bulldogs head to Lexington to face the Kentucky Wildcats in a top-10 matchup, the SEC East crown likely hangs in the balance.
When the Georgia Bulldogs and Kentucky Wildcats have met in recent years, the result has rarely been in doubt, despite them being familiar SEC East foes. The Bulldogs have won 19 of the last 21 meetings between the two teams, and haven’t fallen to the Wildcats since 2009. It’s been all dominance for the team now led by Kirby Smart, but they’ll face their toughest test in quite some time in this matchup on Saturday.
Kentucky has been far better than expected this season, losing just one game to this point in the year and having earned the ninth-ranked spot in the initial College Football Playoff rankings. They’ve done so with a hard-nosed style that’s predicated upon the success of Benny Snell Jr. and their run game and their impressive defense.
The defense of the Wildcats will be critical as they welcome the Bulldogs to Lexington on Saturday. While they’ve shown balance this season on that side of the ball, they have been somewhat susceptible in the passing game. More importantly, they haven’t faced an offense with the talent and potency that they’ll see in Week 10.
This Georgia team suffered their lone loss of the year against another team, LSU, that boasts a strong defense and run game. However, it seems as if Kentucky doesn’t have the same level of talent as the Tigers presented. Specifically, the Bulldogs defense can have more success focusing on stopping the run as the Wildcats passing attack of their own has been less than stellar in 2018.
Where the Bulldogs really need to shine, however, is with Jake Fromm throwing the ball. While Elijah Holyfield and D’Andre Swift are immensely talented, this offense looks best this year when airing it out. And in a matchup against this Wildcats secondary, that’s where they can do damage. If they can pull away with some big plays in the passing game, it may put the game out of reach for the home team.
This is going to be a massive matchup on Saturday as the winner will likely capture the SEC East crown. With that, let’s look at the particulars for the matchup in Lexington.
Game Info
Date: Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018
Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Lexington, KY
Stadium: Kroger Field
TV Info: CBS
Live Stream: CBS All-Access, FuboTV
Going on the road, it’s still not a shock to see the Bulldogs as the favorite here. Not only are the higher-ranked team in this matchup, but they’re the better team on paper too. What is curious, however, is a low total-point line, which is clearly an indication that the oddsmakers believe defense will rule on Saturday afternoon.
Betting Odds (via Odds Shark)
Point Spread: Georgia -8.5
Moneyline: Georgia -310, Kentucky +280
Over/Under: 45
Prediction
Though these teams are close in the rankings and both have a chance at winning the SEC East, it’s hard to truly see them as equals. Georgia offers so many more ways to win a football game than Kentucky does, specifically with their ability to move the ball with efficacy through the air. The Wildcats inability to do the same will be their downfall as they’ll get into a hole and be unable to dig themselves out with their hard-nosed calling card.
Final Score: Georgia Bulldogs 38, Kentucky Wildcats 17