LAS VEGAS — Auburn held a 10-0 advantage at top-ranked Georgia last Saturday, but very few of the savviest and sharpest professional bettors whom I most trust expected the Tigers to survive.
They didn’t, but it required a 40-yard touchdown pass from Carson Beck to Brock Bowers for the Bulldogs to pull out a 27-20 victory in the final minutes.
In his first season at Auburn, coach Hugh Freeze needs time to implement his style and integrate his guys. He did, however, show that these Dogs are vulnerable.
Now an experienced coach with a slinger at the controls and four top returning receivers visit Athens with a team that knows how to open and close, and that should concern the No. 1 team in the land.
And, by the way, Kentucky has an all-world tailback.
- NCAAF – Saturday (10/7) @ 7 p.m. ET
- Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium, Athens, Ga.
- Line: Georgia -14.5, 49
No. 20 Kentucky Wildcats at No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs Odds
Our Pick: Kentucky +14.5 (-110)
A national ESPN TV audience will watch what has been a lopsided affair, with the Dogs having won 21 of their past 22 games in this series in Athens.
However, the previous four have all finished Under and, Kentucky covered each one of those games.
No. 20 Kentucky Wildcats (5-0, 4-1 ATS)
The danger man for the Cats is junior tailback Re’Mahn “Ray” Davis, who averages 7.8 yards (12th-best in the country) on 76 rushes and has scored eight TDs.
He has also hauled in 11 passes for a 13.3-yard average and three more TDs. In 87 touches, he has fumbled only once.
A 5-10, 216-pound San Francisco native, he spent the past two seasons at Vanderbilt and the previous two at Temple. Through last weekend, he had recorded a career 3,106 rushing yards, 585 through the air and 31 total touchdowns.
He set the tone for a 33-14 triumph over No. 22 Florida last weekend with 280 rushing yards and four TDs. The final one, a 2-yard run, might be familiar since Florida had 13 defenders on the field; it made all the highlights.
Davis is the foundation of the country’s top rushing attack, averaging 6.8 yards per run. This is Georgia’s soft spot, since the Dogs are in the middle of the ratings by allowing almost 4 yards a dash.
He accumulated 112 yards and two TDs in the season-opening victory over Ball State, and he averaged 10.3 yards on seven runs, with a score, against Akron.
For Week 5, the man who wears No. 1 was rated as the fastest college player that weekend.
JuTahn McClain spells Davis in the backfield, while Tayvion Robinson (16.2-yard average on 19 catches, 3 TDs), Barion Brown (13.2, 1) and Davis himself (13.3-yard average on 11 receptions, 3 TDs) comprise the air attack.
Jordan Dingle and Brenden Bates both average more than 20 yards a catch.
With that impressive ground game, ex-NC State QB Devin Leary has not had to play hero. Georgia QB Carson Beck has the better numbers, but the Wildcats have Davis and clamp down when needed.
In the fourth quarter, Kentucky averages 9.5 points, 23rd best in the game. Georgia is in the middle of the road, at 6.0, but the Cats’ defense yields a meager 3.8, which only 20 teams top.
No. 20 Kentucky at No. 1 Georgia Full Sportsbook Odds
No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs (5-0, 0-5 ATS)
It’s stunning to see an undefeated Georgia squad winless against the spread after five games — depending on what bettors got that second week — in a 45-3 victory over Ball State that settled around 42.
Then again, there are likely legions of college football fans around the country who do not want the Bulldogs to win a third national title in a row.
In one computer ranking, Georgia is rated 10th; maybe it knows something?
Beck owns a top-20 completion percentage (72) and top-30 QB Rating (162), with 1,497 yards, seven TDs and two picks.
The main target, of course, is tight end Brock Bowers, who averages 13.7 yards on 30 catches, with three TDs and two fumbles.
Receiver Marcus Rosemy averages 17.4 yards on 13 snags. Five other catchers have more than 100 aerial yardage.
What’s funky, though, is that Kentucky’s pass defense is far more stout on the road, allowing other quarterbacks to complete only 42.5% of their attempts.
Sophomore cornerback Maxwell Hairston has emerged as a key cog for the Cats, for his three interceptions are tied with many for fourth in the nation.
Only Hairston and Tyrek Funderburk of Appalachian State, though, have returned two swipes for touchdowns.
In film study this week, Beck has no doubt gotten to know Kentucky’s No. 31.
Sports Betting Recommendation
We get the emotion of this highly anticipated game, since so many would like to see Georgia go down in defeat, and to an SEC East Division opponent, too. That could upset some well-seasoned playoff-advancement plans.
However, we remove those personal desires or hopes, must moves when betting sports.
Every ounce of evidence we favor about Kentucky is in the name of covering, and catching a hair more than 14 points — for a full unit — is enviable.
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