Georgia Bulldogs vs. Kentucky Wildcats: Betting Odds, Analysis and Pick

Georgia owns four straight victories over Kentucky and six wins in the last seven meetings, but the Wildcats are 4-2 against the spread the last six times they've battled the Bulldogs. In their quest to return to the SEC Championship Game, the Bulldogs will try to fend off the upset bid of the Wildcats Saturday afternoon in Lexington.

Point spread: Bulldogs opened as 13-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 37.5-21.0 Bulldogs

Why the Georgia Bulldogs can cover the spread

The Bulldogs had won five games in a row before running into a fired-up Florida team last week and losing 38-20. Georgia took an early 7-0 lead but allowed the game-turning play on a fake-field-goal touchdown halfway through the second quarter.

However, there's little excuse for giving up 418 yards rushing. Nonetheless, the Bulldogs are only a game behind first-place Missouri in the SEC East, and they own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Tigers thanks to their 34-0 victory in Columbia a few weeks ago.

Georgia's defense ranks 22nd in the country overall, so last week might be regarded as an anomaly. Finally, the Bulldogs outgained the Wildcats last year, 602-211, on their way to a 59-14 victory in Athens, covering as 26-point favorites.

Why the Kentucky Wildcats can cover the spread

At 5-4, the Wildcats need just one more victory to become bowl-eligible for the first time in four seasons. Kentucky has struggled in recent weeks, losing to LSU, top-ranked Mississippi State and, last week, Missouri, 20-10. But earlier this season, the Wildcats took Florida to overtime and beat South Carolina.

They also gave MSU a tough game, pulling to within 38-31 with two minutes to go, only to blow the cover as 14-point dogs by allowing a kickoff return for a score. Last week Kentucky held Mizzou to just 320 yards of offense, coming within a field goal of a push as seven-point dogs.

Smart Pick

Georgia will be looking to bounce back after last week's debacle against Florida and stay in the race in the SEC East. Kentucky, on the other hand, hasn't yet proven it can stay with the big boys of the SEC on a weekly basis, losing its last three games against the tougher schedule by an average score of 35-15. So the smart choice here is with the Bulldogs, minus the points.

Betting Trends

• Georgia is 2-4 ATS in its last six games when playing Kentucky
• Kentucky is 4-2 ATS in its last six games when playing Georgia

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark, all quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.