SEC Championship 2017: Final Odds, Preview, Prediction for Auburn vs. Georgia

After a week in which the SEC has been fixated on the dumpster fire of a coaching search at Tennessee, the focus will finally shift back to the gridiron on Saturday as No. 2 Auburn faces No. 6 Georgia in the SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. 

Auburn is all the rave in college football circles after its incredible November in which it knocked off two No. 1 teams, one of which was the Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium on November 11. 

Georgia isn't a wounded animal heading into Saturday, as it has rebounded nicely from the defeat to Auburn and set itself up for a spot in the College Football Playoff with a victory. 

Auburn enters as a slight favorite, but the game could go either way, as the small line dictates. 

Preview

Final Odds: Auburn (-1.5)

As we stated above, the Tigers have put together one of the best resumes in college football with its victories over Georgia and Alabama in the last month, but they still have two losses to Clemson and LSU preventing them from claiming the top spot in the playoff rankings. 

With a victory, Auburn should remain in the No. 2 spot unless top-ranked Clemson falls to Miami (FL) in the ACC Championship. The most likely destination for Auburn as a No. 2 seed would be the Rose Bowl, while a spot on top of the rankings would send it to the Sugar Bowl. 

Defeating Georgia for the second time in less than a month will be a difficult task for Gus Malzahn and Co., especially if star running back Kerryon Johnson isn't available. According to Malzahn, Johnson is a game-time decision, as reported by CBS Sports' Barrett Sallee: 

Malzahn is keeping his cards close to his chest regarding Johnson's usage and the Wildcat formation in offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey's game plan, per Michael Niziolek of Auburn 247: 

"I'd rather not expose our game plan as far as if we are going to use it if he can't play and who that would be," Malzahn said. "I know Chip's got a good plan. He's thought about all the what ifs—if he can play, if he can't play, and all that."

If Johnson can't go, the Tigers would be missing a running back that totaled 1,276 yards on the ground and has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in each of the last four games. 

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

The replacements in the backfield would be Kam Martin and Kamryn Pettway, who have combined for 714 rushing yards throughout the regular season. 

Regardless of who lines up next to quarterback Jarrett Stidham, there will be pressure on the Baylor transfer to open up Georgia's secondary. The sophomore hasn't put up meteoric numbers, but he's been accurate and hasn't turned the ball over much. Stidham has a 68.5 completion percentage and has only thrown four interceptions. 

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm is in the same boat as Stidham. The Bulldogs won't ask Fromm to win the game by himself, but he'll need to make a few big throws and avoid the big turnover. 

The freshman from Warner Robins, Georgia has completed 62 percent of his passes and turned the ball over just five times on interceptions. 

The real grunt work on offense is done by the tenacious running back duo of Sony Michel and Nick Chubb, but the pair struggled in the first game against Auburn as they combined for 49 rushing yards. 

Daniel Shirey/Getty Images

Although it is Kirby Smart's first go-around as head coach in an SEC Championship, he carries plenty of valuable experience of the setting from his time as an assistant at Alabama and Georgia, and he's hoping that helps calm the nerves of the Bulldogs, per Seth Emerson of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: 

"The experience in those is invaluable," Smart said. "Just being able to control the emotions. Having the kids understand it’s just another game because if they don’t that’s when they make more mistakes. I wouldn’t diminish the importance of it. I just think you’d better have a process, a routine that you go through. And the kids have been able to follow that."

Georgia's defense will also play a key role over four quarters as it tries to impose its will on an Auburn team that put up 40 points on it in the loss on November 11. 

In their 11 victories, the Bulldogs have given up more than 20 points on one occasion and that came against Missouri on October 14. 

Auburn's defense has let up double digits in the point column in every game since Week 1, but it limited Georgia and Alabama to 17 and 14 points, respectively. 

The rematch between the Tigers and Bulldogs should be one of the closest games of Week 14, and we're giving Auburn the slightest of nods to pull off the victory and squeak out a cover. 

Prediction: Auburn 20, Georgia 17

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Odds obtained from OddsShark.com.

All stats obtained via ESPN.com.