SEC Week 9 picks: Georgia vs. Kentucky & 3 more

The No. 2 Crimson Tide has rolled through conference competition and appear set to take the SEC crown in 2020.

Saturday’s test against Mississippi State should result in another commanding Alabama win, while the next-best team down South — Georgia — will attempt to bounce back from a 41-24 letdown in Tuscaloosa from Week 7.

The Bulldogs, now 3-1, will visit Kentucky, a team Georgia has consistently dominated in a series that dates back to 1939.

Let's break down Georgia and Kentucky's Week 9 matchup, with odds, a preview, and a pick for that game, plus four more in the SEC.

#5 Georgia vs. Kentucky

The Bulldogs own a 59-12-2 series lead against Kentucky and have won 10 straight, with a 19.5-point average margin of victory.

In 2020, the Bulldogs and Wildcats rank first and second, respectively, in the SEC in scoring defense, while Georgia’s offense averages 8.6 more points per game.

Up until the Crimson Tide debacle, quarterback Stetson Bennett had completed 63% of his passes and hadn’t thrown an interception. Against Alabama, he completed just 45% of his passes and was picked off three times.

The Wildcats rank second in the SEC with nine interceptions, including six against Mississippi State and three against Tennessee.

The issue for Kentucky has been its offense, which put up just 145 yards in a 20-10 loss at Missouri. Once the SEC’s best rushing attack, the Wildcats managed just 95 yards on the ground against the Tigers, while Terry Wilson and Joey Gatewood combined for 50 yards passing.

That formula won’t work against Georgia’s top-ranked rushing defense (65.5 yards allowed per game).

The Bulldogs are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games at Kentucky, while the favorite is 6-1 ATS in the last seven in this series.  

Before the loss at Alabama, Georgia had won its first three games by an average margin of 23.6 points, and with a week of rest, the Bulldogs will snap back into dominant form.

Pick: Georgia -16.5

LSU vs. Auburn

Last week, LSU pummeled South Carolina, a team that beat Auburn, 30-22, in Week 7.

With LSU quarterback Myles Brennan injured, freshman TJ Finley stepped in and went 17-of-21 for 265 yards, accounted for three total touchdowns, and threw one interception in a 52-24 victory. Tyrion Davis-Price also ran for 135 yards and one score on 22 carries.

The Tigers are peaking, while Auburn is still struggling to find consistency on both sides of the ball.

Pick: LSU -3.5

Mississippi State vs. #2 Alabama

Mike Leach and Mississippi State’s 44-34 win against LSU in the season opener clearly meant nothing. Since then, the Bulldogs have averaged 10 points on offense and given up an average of 24.3 points against Arkansas, Kentucky, and Texas A&M.

Alabama’s offense is third in the country in points per game (48.4), but the 30-point spread is a bit much against a Bulldogs defense that gives up 295.5 yards per game, the fewest in the SEC.

Pick: Mississippi State +30   

Arkansas vs. #8 Texas A&M

With new head coach Sam Pittman, the Razorbacks are off to a surprising 2-2 start in the conference, but Saturday’s game is a far more difficult test.

Texas A&M is 3-1, and has a marquee win over Florida, which was ranked fourth in the country at the time.

The key factor on offense has been running back Isaiah Spiller, who ran for 288 yards and four touchdowns over his past two games.

The Aggies rank 25th in the nation in average time of possession and will control the clock against the Hogs, who surrender 177.3 yards per game on the ground.

Pick: A&M -12.5

Missouri vs. #10 Florida

On an extra week of rest, because of a postponed matchup with Vanderbilt, Missouri earned its second straight win against Kentucky last weekend.

Now, Florida is the team coming in with fresh legs, in its first game since an Oct. 10 loss at Texas A&M. The Gators endured a major COVID-19 outbreak and added six new COVID-19 cases in its weekly update Oct. 26.

Missouri's offense has found its stride, but Florida's is superior and will get the job done, even with some players missing.

Pick: Florida -12

Wager on Week 9 of the 2020 college football season at BetAmerica!