With six games remaining in their regular season, Georgia basketball has fallen on hard times of late. Losers of five of their last seven games, Georgia (16-9, 4-8 SEC) needs a late-season reset or they will be at risk of not being selected to the NCAA tournament for the 11th consecutive season. Today’s matchup against No. 21 Missouri is the perfect opportunity to begin that reset.
Missouri (18-6, 7-4 SEC) comes into this contest versus Georgia with mixed reviews themselves. The Tigers have lost three of their last six games, but were able to take down underachieving Oklahoma 82-58 on Wednesday.
Make no mistake, this is a winnable game for Georgia, but Missouri will not be handing out any victories today. Georgia is going to have to earn it, but in order to do so they will need to buck a noticeable trend between them and their ranked SEC opponents this season.
Georgia versus SEC ranked opponents in 2024
In 2024, Georgia basketball has had an obvious problem against the mightier members of the SEC. It seems that in games where the lights have been their brightest or the moment meaning the most, Georgia has experienced its greatest struggles.
Since SEC play began, Georgia has averaged 65 points per game while giving up 74 points per contest against the nine ranked SEC teams they have faced. The average point difference in the seven losses to those ranked SEC opponents have been 14.3.
But if you are looking for a more specific cause for concern, then look no further than Georgia’s bench. So far this season, in all but two games versus ranked SEC opponents, Georgia’s bench has been outperformed by their competition. The most stark and alarming statistic is in the last two consecutive contests where Georgia’s bench has been outscored 58-10. That will need to change today if Georgia is going to have any chance of pulling off the upset.
Injury Report
UGA: Dakota Leffew | G | Questionable - Undisclosed
UGA: Tyrin Lawrence | G | Out - Leg
Missouri: Trent Burns | C | Out - Foot
Georgia versus Missouri Final Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Favorite: Georgia @ +2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Georgia +112
Over/Under: 145.5 (-105)
Georgia vs. Missouri Prediction
This is a tough one to call because Georgia does have the potential to beat Missouri, and all reports indicate that they will have guard Dakota Leffew available today. The Bulldogs however need to show that they can play basketball when it matters most. Of late, that has not been the case.
The biggest and most obvious concern is Georgia’s bench. Ever since Leffew was moved into the starting lineup, Mike White has not been able to replicate Leffew’s bench productivity. De’Shayne Montgomery does possess the ability to impact any game offensively, but turnovers and decision-making have hamstrung his playing time and potential.
It cannot be ignored that Georgia is a different team at home, but their engine has lost a lot of steam from the team we saw beating the likes of Kentucky and Oklahoma or taking Auburn to the brink. The SEC devours its own and has taken its toll on this young and not very deep Georgia team. With that said, Missouri is the likely team to win this game.
Prediction: Missouri wins 78-71.