Prediction Georgia Bulldogs vs. Kentucky Wildcats: Who will win and why

No. 1 Georgia travels to its SEC opener this weekend, looking to defend its undefeated record and position as the conference's top team when it faces Kentucky in Week 3 of college football on Saturday.

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck is 15-1 as a starter and threw a personal-best five touchdown passes last week. This year, he has completed 72 percent of his pass attempts, including seven TD passes.

Brock Vandagriff, a former Georgia quarterback recruit who transferred to Kentucky this season, completed just 3 of 10 passes for 30 yards in the Wildcats' 31-6 loss to South Carolina last week.

Georgia has won 14 consecutive games against Kentucky in a streak dating back to 1939. This is currently the program's longest active winning streak against an SEC opponent.

What can we expect from this matchup? Here's what to look for when Georgia faces Kentucky in this Week 3 college football game with our updated prediction.

— With some obvious serious issues throwing the ball, Kentucky will want to test Georgia's starting seven right away and has shown a willingness to try multiple options so far, using five or more players in the first two games.

– Kentucky has a contrasting style: The backfield is dominated by the physically stronger Demie Sumo-Karngbaye and the quicker Jason Patterson. Both average 5.2 yards per carry, but UK only managed 2.9 yards per carry in last week's loss.

– But the Bulldogs' first seven players are well equipped to contain the running attack. In two games, they have allowed no more than 3.2 yards per run on average (10th nationally). The defense is behind a big line that can block running lanes and linebackers that can sprint downhill and limit any gains.

— On paper, Kentucky's defense has done well, stopping 12 of 18 opponents' third-down opportunities so far this season. But some of those 6 were costly, as they allowed two big pass plays for the Gamecocks last week, both of which resulted in points when the game was still close.

– Georgia’s offense has proven inefficient on third downs in two games, completing only 8 of 20 attempts.

– Granted, the Bulldogs didn't have to rely on moving the chains in these moments since they did most of their damage long before then, but if the Wildcats can build pressure and force those third downs, they could throw Georgia's offense off rhythm a bit.

Lines provided courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

Georgia: -22.5 (-108)
Kentucky: +22.5 (-112)

Georgia ML -3000
Kentucky ML: +1200

Over 44.5 points: -110
Below 44.5 points: -110

The early results on Brock Vandagriff suggest that he will not be able to handle the constant pressure in the pocket, as Kentucky allowed 5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss last week and Georgia's front seven is many times more aggressive than South Carolina's.

Kentucky can apply some pressure from its side and cause some problems for the Bulldogs' defenders early on, but as the game progresses, Georgia's tremendous variety of skills should outweigh those of the Wildcats.

Georgia's average margin of victory against Kentucky during its winning streak is 19 points, and there is no indication that number will change drastically this time around.

College Football HQ's selection…

More … Georgia vs. Kentucky score prediction by an expert football model

When: Saturday, September 14
Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time
TV: ABC Network

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The game odds are updated regularly and are subject to change.

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