The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs have played exactly one bad half of football this season and other than that have cruised to 4-0. That bad half was the Bulldog’s shaky start against South Carolina in their Week 3, SEC opener. Last week, they got back on track with a 49-21 win over UAB at home, and now head to Auburn for Week 5.
The Auburn Tigers would have been much happier if they could have kept playing non-conference games. In Hugh Freeze’s return to SEC play, his team got beat 27-10 by Texas A&M and he had to bench his starting quarterback, Payton Thorne.
Georgia is still sitting atop the college football world heading into Week 5 and for a wider look at the landscape of college football, check out BetSided college football betting expert Reed Wallach’s weekly column and preview.
When you’re betting on this matchup, make sure to take advantage of this great promo in the BetMGM Sportsbook. Just sign up with the link below and place a $10 wager on this SEC contest between the Bulldogs and Tigers, then receive $200 in bonus bets instantly.
Georgia vs. Auburn odds, spread and total
Auburn vs. Georgia betting trends
Auburn is 1-3 ATS
The UNDER is 3-1 in Auburn games
Georgia is 1-3 ATS
The UNDER is 3-1 in Georgia games
Georgia vs. Auburn how to watch
Date: Saturday, September 23
Time: 3:30 PM EST
Venue: Jordan-Hare Stadium
How to Watch (TV): CBS
Georgia Record: 4-0
Auburn Record: 3-1
Georgia vs. Auburn key players to watch
Georgia
Brock Bowers, TE: Last week, Georgia got to beat up on UAB and it was a showcase game for Brock Bowers, who will be a first-round pick next spring. He had nine catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns to bring his season totals up to 22 catches for 256 yards and two TDs. He is Georgia’s leading receiver by five catches over Dominic Lovett.
Auburn
Payton Thorne, QB: All of the sudden, Thorne could be competing for his job. Last week, the transfer from Michigan State threw for just 44 yards on six of 12 passing and was benched in the team’s 27-10 loss.
Georgia vs. Auburn prediction and pick
Georgia’s last game in the SEC didn’t go great. The Bulldogs got off to a slow start and only ended up with three points at the half and were trailing 14-3. Then a switch flipped and they dominated the second half for a 24-14 win. If you look at their SEC schedule, it’s very possible that this is the last time they struggle in SEC play. They certainly aren’t going to have many problems in this one.
Georgia’s defense is still dominant. It’s 18th in total defense, and 12th in yards per play. So far, it has been better against the pass, ranking sixth in yards per completion and fourth in yards per attempt, while it is 46th in yards per rush. That could be good for Auburn, because the Tigers are a run-first team with questions at quarterback, but there is still no chance for them to overcome the talent disparity.
It’s actually not a huge surprise that the Bulldogs struggled in their SEC opener because it was at home. Since 2015 when Kirby Smart took over at Georgia, the Bulldogs are 22-12 against the spread on the road which is the sixth best record in all of college football over that span. However, at home, they are 21-30-1 ATS.
As a road favorite, Georgia is 20-10 against the spread. I’ll take the Bulldogs to cover as a big road favorite in Week 5 at Auburn.
Follow all Josh Yourish’s bets HERE
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change