The second and final game of the first round of the 2023 SEC Tournament in Nashville, TN will see the No. 14 seed LSU Tigers face off with the No. 11 seed Georgia Bulldogs in Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday night.
The Tigers finished the season at 13-18 overall and 2-16 in SEC play, losing 17 of their final 18 games after starting 12-1. The Bulldogs finished the regular season at 16-15 overall and 6-12 in SEC play, but lost five consecutive games to finish the season completely out of NCAA tournament consideration.
Which ice cold SEC team will get back on the right track for a chance at a tournament run? Check out our college basketball picks and predictions for LSU vs. Georgia on Wednesday, March 8 to find out.
Georgia vs LSU best odds
Georgia vs LSU picks and predictions
These two programs met only once in the regular season and it was on Valentine’s Day in Georgia. The Bulldogs won 65-63 on a game-winning layup by Justin Hill with seven seconds left. However, this was the last win of the season for the program.
Grad transfer K.J. Williams from Murray State has been the lone bright spot for the Tigers this season, averaging 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. Williams had 18 points and nine rebounds in the matchup with Georgia.
On the other end, Georgia used its ability to get to the free-throw line to ultimately pull out the win, despite getting outrebounded by 10 and only getting 13 points from its leading scorer. The Bulldogs had 26 free throw attempts, but shot a miserable 57.7% from the stripe.
That is unusual for them as they've shoot 72.2% from the free throw line this season. It is not unusual for them to get several attempts from the charity stripe though, as they rank 22nd in the country averaging 22.4 free throw attempts per game.
LSU commits 16.7 personal fouls per game (185th in the nation) and allows 16.5 free throw attempts per contest (116th). If Georgia can keep the game physical and force the refs to blow the whistle, it will be at a huge advantage in both free throw shooting and having enough bodies to fight through foul trouble.
The Bulldogs will know that Williams is the only real threat the Tigers can throw at them and they will be physical with him. Georgia has nine players that average at least 18.7 minutes per game and will want to use them all effectively, I like the Bulldogs to win this one by a decent margin.
My best bet: Georgia moneyline (+106 at FanDuel)
Looking to do some college basketball betting? Here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) Get one 25% profit boost for one college basketball parlay every day at Caesars! Opt-in Now
B) Get a profit boost (up to 100%) on any college basketball parlay at DraftKings! Opt-in Now
*Eligible USA locations only. Also, check out our full list of best sportsbook promotions for 2023.
21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Georgia vs LSU spread analysis
This is an evenly matched game when comparing KenPom rankings, but Georgia does have the slight advantage on defense and likes to play with a faster tempo. The Bulldogs went 2-1 in neutral site games this season with wins over St. Joseph’s and Notre Dame, and a loss to UAB.
Meanwhile, LSU went 3-1 in neutral site games before its season collapsed in conference play. The Tigers lone win since the calendar turned to 2023 came on February 22 at home to Vanderbilt.
They are 8-20-1 against the spread in their last 29 games following an ATS loss and 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 games overall. They are also 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 games against a team with a winning straight up record. The underdog is 11-3-1 ATS in the last 15 meetings between these two programs.
If Georgia was playing just about any other team in the conference tournament, I would have little to no faith in it. However, LSU has been just as cold if not more than the Bulldogs. Georgia will take advantage of this depth mismatch and win.
Georgia vs LSU Over/Under analysis
Both teams are bad offensively, but they are also bad defensively. LSU ranks 290th in points per game and 97th in points allowed per game, while Georgia ranks 262nd in points per game and 224th in points allowed per game.
The Under is 5-2-1 in the Bulldogs' last eight neutral site games and 4-1 in the Tigers last five neutral site games. The first matchup finished with 128 total points and went well Under the game total of 139.5.
This total is a bit inflated at 141.5, but I can understand given how bad both defenses are playing right now. Still, I believe Georgia will make this a physical game and get LSU into foul trouble. This will ultimately lead to a lower scoring game and would lean towards the Under here.
Georgia vs LSU betting trend to know
The Tigers are 6-19-1 ATS in their last 26 games following a straight up loss. Find more college basketball betting trends for Georgia vs. LSU.
Georgia vs LSU game info
| Conference: | SEC Round 1 |
| Location: | Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN |
| Date: | Wednesday, March 8, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | SEC Network |
