Auburn Tigers at Georgia Bulldogs Betting Preview
Saturday afternoon will feature a battle of first versus worst in the SEC as the No. 1 Auburn Tigers (21-1, 9-0 in SEC) take on the Georgia Bulldogs (6-16, 1-8 in SEC). The Bulldogs will host this one at Stegeman Coliseum, with tipoff scheduled for 1:00 pm ET.
These two teams played back on January 19, with the Tigers decimating Georgia 83-60 at home. The Tigers are big favorites again in this one, listed at -16.5, with a total of 152.5.
Including that win, Auburn is on an 18-game winning streak since their lone loss to No. 17 Connecticut back on November 24. In their last game, they took down Alabama 100 to 81.
In the win, the Tigers had five players score in double digits, but they were led by Wendell Green Jr. and his 23 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.
Georgia is on the other side of things as they have lost 10 of their last 11 games. Their lone win in that span was an 82-76 win over Alabama. In their last game, they lost to Arkansas 99-73.
Kario Oquendo was the leading scorer in the loss with 17 points, while Aaron Cook also had double digits with 12.
More Odds
Auburn is currently the favorite to win the SEC at -1500. In terms of the National Championship, they have the second-best odds at +800. Georgia is +50000 to win it all.
By The Numbers
Auburn has had one of the best offenses in the nation. They currently rank eighth in scoring averaging 80.6 points per game. The Bulldogs rank 150th as they are averaging 71 points per game.
On the defensive side, it is again Auburn with the edge. They rank 80th in scoring defense, allowing opponents 66.1 points per game. Georgia ranks 327th as they are allowing 77.4 points per game.
Auburn Looking To Keep Road And Conference Records Perfect
With their lone loss of the season coming on a neutral court, the Auburn Tigers technically still have a perfect record both at home and on the road. On Saturday, they will not only try to keep their perfect road record intact but also add another win to their perfect conference record.
Leading the way for the Tigers’ offense is freshman forward Jabari Smith. This season, he is averaging 15.6 points on 44% shooting. He is also adding 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game.
The Tigers have three others averaging double digits, including K.D. Johnson (13.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.1 steals), Wendell Green Jr (12.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.5 steals), and Walker Kessler (11.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.2 blocks).
Georgia Looking For Massive Home Upset
For as good as their football program is, Georgia’s basketball program has been almost equally as bad in the SEC this season. At just 1-8 in the conference (their lone win ironically enough being over Alabama), the Bulldogs will look to pull off a massive upset and knock off the top-ranked Tigers.
Georgia is led by a pair of guards in Kario Oquendo and Braelen Bridges. For Oquendo, the sophomore is averaging 12.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and a steal per game. Not to be outdone, Bridges is also having a solid season averaging 12.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.
With Jailyn Ingram out for the season with a knee injury, that leaves just Aaron Cook as the only other Bulldog averaging double digits. In 21 games, he has averaged 10.5 points to go along with 2.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
Expect Auburn To Win And Win Big
It is pretty tough to see an avenue where Georgia can pull off an upset here. Even playing at home, where they are just 6-8, the Bulldogs don’t have the size or athleticism to keep up with the Tigers.
While Georgia’s offense is average, their defense has been downright atrocious. When hosting a team as talented as the Tigers, that is a recipe for disaster.
Expect Auburn to win this game, and don’t be surprised if it mirrors the 20+ deficit that they lost by in the first matchup between these two. Bet Auburn -16.5 over Georgia in this one!
