SEC Week 10 picks: Florida vs. Georgia & 3 more
In the marquee college football matchup of Week 10, No. 8 Florida and No. 5 Georgia clash in the latest edition of their century-old rivalry series.
Not only will Georgia look to widen the gap in its all-time series lead, but a win on Saturday would further strengthen the Bulldogs' hold of the top spot in the SEC East.
To get you ready for the "World’s Largest Cocktail Party," let’s break down the odds and matchup between Florida and Georgia, and provide a preview and picks for the three other SEC games set for Week 10.
#8 Florida vs. #5 Georgia
Florida hasn’t defeated their longtime rival since 2016, the last time the Gators reached the SEC Championship Game.
Since then, Georgia has held command of the SEC East, but 2020 may be the year the Gators reclaim the throne.
With quarterback Kyle Trask under center, the Gators rank third in the SEC in offensive yards (476.5) and second in points per game (42).
Trask will face a top-rated Georgia defense, but the Bulldogs will be short-handed with injuries to safety Richard LeCounte and defensive lineman Julian Rochester.
Equally as concerning, Georgia's offense is sputtering behind the play of junior QB Stetson Bennett, who has thrown five interceptions across his past two games.
Steston Bennett, who stands 5-11, had five passes tipped and knocked down and three intercepted against Alabama. UK DT Phil Hoskins just tipped and intercepted a Bennett pass in this game. #bbn #ukfootball
— John Clay (@johnclayiv) October 31, 2020
The Bulldogs rank in the bottom five of the conference in offensive yards per game (378.6) and put up 131 yards passing in a 14-3 win against Kentucky last week.
The good news for Georgia is that Florida doesn’t defend the pass particularly well. In a loss at Texas A&M, the Gators defense surrendered 338 yards through the air and three touchdown passes.
Florida’s run defense is a bit better, but still allowed A&M’s Isaiah Spiller to rush for 174 yards and two scores in the Gators' lone loss.
If Florida can’t contain Georgia’s star running back Zamir White, this game will side with Georgia.
The Bulldogs are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 games as favorites, but 2-5 ATS in their last seven conference games.
Florida is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 conference games and 5-2 ATS in its last seven as an underdog.
Pick: Florida +3.5
Vanderbilt at Mississippi State
Despite four straight losses, Mike Leach’s confounding Bulldogs come in as 19.5-point home favorites against a winless Vanderbilt squad.
State has averaged just 7.5 points per game in its last four matchups, while Vanderbilt has put up 11.3 across four games this season.
On the plus side, the Bulldogs rank second in the SEC in yards allowed, while Vanderbilt is second to last.
State will get its second win, but there has been too much inconsistency on offense to feel confident in laying the points.
Pick: Vanderbilt +19.5
#7 Texas A&M at South Carolina
The Aggies have had South Carolina’s number ever since A&M joined the SEC in 2012.
Dating back to their first meeting in 2014, Texas A&M has won all six games in this series, the last of which was a 30-6 beatdown in College Station in 2019.
53 #DaysTillAggieFootball
— Tim England (@tengland_150) July 14, 2020
One of the his most memorable plays at Texas A&M, @_Jstern takes both the ball and a South Carolina defender 53 yards down the field pic.twitter.com/saekcVdkD4
The Aggies rank first in time of possession in the SEC and second in the nation in third-down conversion percentage (58.7%).
Too much is going right for No. 7 A&M at the moment for the 2-3 Gamecocks to pull off an upset.
Pick: Texas A&M -10
Tennessee vs. Arkansas
Tennessee is on a three-game skid, with blowout losses to Georgia, Kentucky, and Alabama — all top three scoring defenses in the SEC.
Kentucky grabbed three straight interceptions against Tennessee 😲
— SI College Football (@si_ncaafb) October 17, 2020
(via @UKFootball) pic.twitter.com/ORqb4ivXmP
The Hogs are another tough task defensively, as they rank fifth in the conference in points allowed (28.8) and ninth in the country in takeaways per game (2.6).
Arkansas’ most glaring weakness is against the run, so Tennessee will need more production from Eric Gray or Ty Chandler in order to pull out a win on the road.
In what is sure to be a close battle, take the team that is a perfect 5-0 against the spread this season.
Pick: Arkansas +2
Wager on Week 10 of the 2020 college football season at BetAmerica.
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