Kentucky (12-2) vs. Georgia (12-2)
January 7, 2025 7:00 pm EDT
The Line: Georgia +2; Over/Under: +156
(Get latest betting odds)
The Kentucky Wildcats and the Georgia Bulldogs meet Tuesday in college basketball action from Stegeman Coliseum. Here’s a Georgia vs Kentucky prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Georgia vs Kentucky pick.
Kentucky Wildcats Betting Preview
Kentucky opened the season on a tear, winning each of their first seven outings. Those victories came versus Wright State, Bucknell, Duke, Lipscomb, Jackson State, Western Kentucky, and Georgia State in succession. The Wildcats took their first loss of the year on December 3 versus Clemson 70-66 but then won the next three matchups versus Gonzaga, Colgate, and Louisville. Since then it’s been a 1-2 stretch for Kentucky. Following a loss to Ohio State, the Wildcats rebounded with consecutive wins over Brown and Florida.
Kentucky last played on Saturday versus the Gators. The Wildcats jumped out to a commanding 52-42 lead by halftime, then cruised on a 58-54 second half, hanging on for the eventual 106-100 victory against a very tough opponent. All five starters finished the game in double-figures, but Koby Brea led everyone on the team with 23 points and one rebound in 22 minutes off the bench. Leading the starters was Lamont Butler with his 19 points, eight assists, and three steals. Otega Oweh wasn’t too far behind with 16 points, four rebounds, and two steals, while Amari Williams chipped in with 15 points, eight boards and five assists.
Georgia Bulldogs Betting Preview
Over on the Georgia side, they opened the season on a string of wins as well. The Bulldogs got past Tennessee Tech, Texas Southern, North Florida, Georgia Tech, and Alabama A&M for a 5-0 start. Georgia’s first loss came on November 23 versus Marquette, but another win streak ensued afterward versus St. John’s, Jacksonville, Notre Dame, Grand Canyon, Buffalo, Charleston Southern and South Carolina State. The Bulldogs saw their streak snapped in their last outing versus Ole Miss however, resulting in a 12-2 record so far this season.
In the Ole Miss game on Saturday, the Bulldogs came out of the break looking at a 28-26 advantage on the scoreboard. Georgia faltered mightily in the second half however, getting drilled 37-23 on the way to a fairly listless loss 63-51. Leading the team in scoring—and the only player on the team in double-figures—was Asa Newell with 13 points, 13 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks for a double-double. Tyrin Lawrence added eight points and three steals, while De’Shayne Montgomery led the bench scoring with six points and one rebound.
Why the Georgia Bulldogs will win
- Georgia has won each of its last 11 games at Stegeman Coliseum.
- Georgia has won the first half in each of its last eight night games at Stegeman Coliseum.
Why the Kentucky Wildcats will win
- Georgia has lost each of its last eight games against Top 10 AP-ranked opponents.
- Kentucky has won 12 of its last 13 night games against Georgia.
- Georgia has lost the first half in each of its last six games against Top 10 AP-ranked opponents.
Georgia vs Kentucky Prediction
I’ll lean toward Kentucky, but this should be a highly interesting matchup that you could argue either way. The Wildcats took out a very good Florida squad in their last outing thanks to a stellar 57.8 percent shooting from the field and 25 team assists alongside just six turnovers. Kentucky did slow down in the second half compared to the Gators and ended up allowing Florida to shoot 55 percent from the floor. Still, it was a great win. That makes 78 or more points in five of the last six games (all five were wins), with 88 or more points in four of those.
As for Georgia, they couldn’t quite figure out a great Ole Miss squad in their last game. The Bulldogs ended up shooting a miserable 29.3 percent from the field with just 2-of-18 (11.1 percent) from 3-point range and 15 turnovers for 15 Rebels points. It was the Bulldogs’ lowest-scoring game of the year by quite a margin, so it’s probably safe to say they’ll eclipse that total here. Georgia had posted 69 or more points in six straight games prior to that, and the Bulldogs will need another good scoring outing in order to keep up with Kentucky. In the end, however, I don’t think Georgia will quite get there. Regardless of what happens, it’ll be a fun one to watch, though.
