Top-ranked Auburn should not have any trouble winning at struggling Georgia in SEC play on Saturday … but then again it could be a bit of a trap game for the Tigers off a big win over rival Alabama. Auburn will still be a heavy favorite on the NCAAB odds.

How to Bet Auburn at Georgia NCAA Basketball Odds & TV Info

• When: Saturday, 1 PM ET
• Where: Stegeman Coliseum
• TV: SEC Network
• Stream: ESPN app
• Radio: Tunein.com
• Opening NCAAB Lines: TBA (Auburn will be sizable favorite)

Last Meeting

The teams played at Auburn on Jan. 19 and the Tigers romped 83-60. Walker Kessler had 15 points and six blocked shots to lead a half-dozen scorers in double figures for Auburn. The Tigers built a 25-point lead by halftime. Jaylin Williams scored 13 points for Auburn, while Georgia transfer K.D. Johnson, Wendell Green and Jabari Smith all finished with 12. Christian Wright led Georgia with 16 points, going 8 of 9 from the free-throw line. Noah Baummann and Braelen Bridges scored 11 apiece. Georgia was without leading scorer Kario Oquendo with a lower body injury.

Why Bet on Auburn?

Auburn (21-1) swept the season series from rival Alabama with a 100-81 home blowout on Tuesday for its 18^th straight win. Alabama went 11-for-33 (33.3%) inside the arc against Auburn. The Tigers finished with 52 points in the paint, while Alabama only had 22. Auburn also had 27 fast-break points, with most of them coming on layups and dunks.

“Great team effort,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “To outrebound Alabama (47-40) is significant. It’s the sum of our parts once again. I don’t know that I’ve ever had a team where you could take any one of them and I could tell you a story why that kid was the player of the game. This game matters to both teams. It’s a great rivalry. It matters to our fans.”

Wendell Green Jr. had a season-high 23 points. Green added eight rebounds and six assists to lead five Tigers in double figures. Green Jr. ranks third among SEC assists leaders averaging 5.0 assists per game with a 2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio. He was named one of 10 watch list candidates for the 2022 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award.

After foul trouble limited him to only 12 minutes in Auburn’s first meeting with Alabama last month, Walker Kessler made his presence felt in the rematch with 14 points, 12 rebounds, eight blocks and four steals.

“I wanted this one, because I felt like, last game, I didn’t get the opportunity I wanted to against Alabama,” Kessler said. “I was pumped for this game. I was amped, and I was happy the refs let me play.”

Freshman Jabari Smith was named one of 10 watch list candidates for the 2022 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Thursday. Smith is the Tigers’ leading scorer averaging 15.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. He is also shooting 44.0 percent from the floor and 40.5 percent from beyond the 3-point arc this season.

Smith has scored in double figures in 19-of-22 games played including four double-double performances and seven 20-point outings. He might be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Auburn currently ranks 11th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency (89.1 points per 100 possessions). In SEC play, Auburn’s defense has limited opponents to just 67.6 points per game, which is third in the league.

Why Bet on Georgia?

Georgia (6-16) lost for the 10^th time in 11 games Wednesday, 99-73, and it’s almost a lock that Tom Crean will be fired after the season. Stanley Umude scored a season-high 31 points and Arkansas held Georgia to just 26 second-half points. Umude gave the Razorbacks the lead for good on a layup with 3:26 left in the first half. The Razorbacks outscored Georgia 46-26 in the second half.

Georgia turned the ball over 19 times in the game and played brutal defense. The Razorbacks knocked down 56.3% of their shots on the night, including 15-of-28 (53.6%) from the outside. The 26-point loss was Georgia’s second loss in SEC play by 20 or more points. The Razorbacks’ 99 points were the most Georgia has allowed this season.

“We do not have maturity, and it’s an issue,” Crean said. “A lot of people have it around the country, but we don’t have that. We’ve got to have a defensive mindset, whether it’s in transition, getting hands up, whatever it is, and you just can’t — your offense is going to come back. So I think what happens is that’s where the energy goes a little bit, because the shots aren’t falling and you start to lose spirit and then it can fatigue you real quick.”

Sophomore Kario Oquendo led Georgia with 17 points on 5-for-10 shooting, while graduate Aaron Cook tallied 12 points and six assists. Cook is one assist from co.-No. 19s Gino Gianfrancesco and Barry Cohen among UGA’s season assist leaders. Senior Noah Baumann hauled in seven rebounds. For the evening, the Bulldogs shot 45.3 percent from the field.

Georgia leads the SEC in free throw percentage in conference games, connecting on 81.9 percent of its trips to the line in league play.

Expert Prediction

• Auburn 79, Georgia 69

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