LSU is on the cusp of entering the College Football Playoff with a 13-0 record and holding at least the #2 seed, but first they must face the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship. Georgia is currently ranked fourth in the CFP standings, so a win for them would vault them into the national semifinals. Georgia is playing in its third consecutive SEC Championship, while LSU is making its first visit to the title game since 2011. What has brought LSU back into contention? They have finally brought their offense into the twenty-first century, committing to a high-octane passing attack led by Joe Burrow. Georgia still operates as a run-first operation, using their size in the trenches and their speed on defense to win games. Can LSU finish their perfect season? Or will Georgia take the SEC title? Don’t miss our sports betting preview.
Georgia vs LSU 2019 SEC Championship Odds & Game Analysis
🏈🏈🏈#ATD #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/fMkHup4shq
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) December 4, 2019
- When: Saturday, December 7, 2019, 4:00 pm ET
- Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
- TV: CBS
- Radio: Georgia Bulldog Network / LSU Tigers Sports Network
- Live Stream: ESPN+
- SEC Championship Odds: LSU -7.5
Why should you bet on the Bulldogs?
Georgia has an edge as far as experience goes in these title games. Quarterback Jake Fromm has thrown five touchdown passes in the last two championships, without a single interception, in a win over Auburn and a loss to Alabama. The Bulldogs’ defense might be even better than the offense, as they rank #2 in the nation (behind Clemson) in fewest points permitted per game. Without that double-overtime loss to South Carolina, Georgia might find itself in the top two with LSU, or with Ohio State.
One issue for Georgia has to do with offense. After that loss to South Carolina, the Bulldogs did not score more than 30 points in any of the rest of their SEC wins. They did hang 52 points on Georgia Tech, but the Yellow Jackets are in a transition year as far as their head coach goes, and that rivalry game was not competitive. Two key roster notes for Georgia include senior wide receiver Lawrence Cager, who will miss the game with an ankle injury, and wide receiver George Pickens, who will miss the first half thanks to a suspension he picked up in the Georgia Tech game. That means the top two wide receivers in terms of yardage will miss significant portions of the game. Fromm completes 73 percent of his targets to those two, while he only completes 53 percent of his targets to anyone else.
Why should you put your money on the Tigers?
LSU comes in with the second-best offense in the nation in terms of points per game. It is likely that they would advance to a national semifinal even with a loss, but if they can beat Georgia consistently, they would have a case to move up to the top playoff seed — and avoid a matchup in the semifinal with Clemson. LSU has had questions about their defense this season, but they seem to have answered many of those in their 50-7 shellacking of Texas A&M last week, a game that they led 21-0 after the first period and in which Aggies quarterback Kellen Mond went just 10 for 30.
On offense, LSU is led by Joe Burrow, who has thrown for 4,366 yards in 12 games, with 44 touchdown passes against just six picks. Tailback Clyde Edwards-Helaire has run for 1,233 yards and 16 touchdowns, which means that Burrow has not had to face a lot of third-and-long situations this season. Burrow can also run the ball when he needs to, picking up 248 yards and three touchdowns with his feet — and he scrambled for several key first downs in the victory over Alabama.
Final Score Prediction
I picked LSU to fall to Alabama — but the Tigers pulled it out. In this game, I see Georgia having a difficult time staying with LSU in terms of scoring pace. So while Georgia will keep it competitive, I see LSU pulling away in the second half, winning 30-20.
