College basketball picks: Georgia-Kentucky prediction, odds, spread for January 17

The Kentucky Wildcats, fresh off a road win over the No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers, host the Georgia Bulldogs in Game No. 6 on the 2022-23 SEC slate. Tip-off at Rupp Arena is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET and the game will air on ESPN.

Let's take a look at the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook and make some picks.

Georgia vs. Kentucky odds

Spread: Kentucky -10.5
Over/Under: 136
Moneyline: Kentucky -670, Georgia +460

Georgia (13-4, 3-1) gets its stiffest test of the Mike White Era as the Bulldogs try to maintain the momentum they've built via back-to-back wins over Mississippi State and Ole Miss. UGA slowed down the tempo considerably in those two contests while holding opponents to 21.7 percent from three and just 35.8 percent from the field.

Kentucky (11-6, 2-3) has already had considerable ups and downs this season, losing back-to-back games to No. 4 Alabama and unranked South Carolina before knocking off the Volunteers in Knoxville on Saturday. In their last four games, the Wildcats have mustered just 64.3 points per game. Nevertheless, UK is tough to beat at home, boasting a 9-1 record there against mostly lackluster competition.

In order to hang around, Georgia will have to continue its excellent perimeter defense, limiting Kentucky's trio of three-point shooters. CJ Fredrick, Antonio Reeves, and Cason Wallace shoot 39, 40, and 41 percent from deep respectively. It will also have to force Kentucky to play at its much slower pace, reducing the game to a battle of half-court offenses. In the end, they will have to hope the Wildcats shoot as poorly as the Bulldogs' recent competition to pull off the road upset.

The Pick: Under 136

Georgia's path to victory is slowing Kentucky down and limiting their three-point shooters. While it remains to be seen how successful those efforts will be, their slow pace combined with Kentucky's underwhelming recent offensive output are a recipe for a battle that ends in the 60s and falls below the set point total.

  
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