No. 14 LSU vs. No. 1 Georgia picks and best bets for the SEC Championship

The 2022 SEC Championship Game will take place on Saturday as the No. 14 LSU Tigers take on the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs at 4 p.m. ET. The game will take place at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta and will air on CBS.

LSU (9-3, 6-2 SEC) was a somewhat of surprise coming out of the SEC West this season as first-year head coach Brian Kelly put to bed any thought of him not being a “cultural fit” with the program. Losses to Florida State and Tennessee in the first half of the season drew causes for concern, but the team steadily gained momentum as it got deeper into SEC play. The memorable moment came on November 5, when a two-point conversion in overtime lifted LSU over Alabama and effectively clinched it the division crown. However, the banged up Tigers would lose some steam in the coming weeks and got steamrolled by Texas A&M in their regular season finale. On offense, transfer quarterback Jayden Daniels solidified himself as the top signal caller in Baton Rouge, LA, while on defense, freshman linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. quickly emerged as the next defensive star of the sport.

Georgia (12-0, 8-0 SEC) picked right up where it left off from its national championship run last season and is out to finish the job with an SEC title. Any concerns over a potential stepback year was immediately shot down when the Dawgs destroyed eventual Pac-12 title contender Oregon in a 49-3 rout to open the year. UGA would play with its food at times, but would ultimately win 11 of 12 games by 10 points or more. Senior quarterback Stetson Bennett IV once again effectively held control of the offense while Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey were the top receivers. Meanwhile on defense, the front seven was once again dominant and led by the likes of potential No. 1 overall pick Jalen Carter at defensive tackle.

Here’s all the data you’ll want, and a pick for the game!

SP+ Rankings

LSU: 15 overall, 37 offense, 23 defense
Georgia: 1 overall, 26 offense, 1 defense

Injury update

LSU

QB Jayden Daniels - Probable (Ankle)
S Matthew Langlois - Out (Leg)
CB Sevyn Banks - Out (Spine)
CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse - Questionable (Concussion)
RB Josh Williams - Probable (Knee)

Georgia

OL Earnest Greene III - Out (Leg)
TE Arik Gilbert - Questionable (Undisclosed)

ATS/Total

Against The Spread

LSU: 7-5 ATS
Georgia: 6-6 ATS

Total

LSU: Over 6-6
Georgia: Over 4-8

Current lines at DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread: Georgia -17.5
Total: 51.5
Moneyline: Georgia -900, LSU +625

Opening line: Georgia -15
Opening total: 50.5

Weather

Domed stadium. Weather will not be a factor.

The Pick

Georgia -17.5

I’ve waffled back and forth on whether the Bulldogs will cover this large spread and I’ll ultimately predict that Georgia will flatten LSU here. The Texas A&M loss stunted a lot of the Tigers’ momentum and Daniels not being fully 100% for this matchup will hurt. Even if they’re not operating at full speed, the Dawgs should handle business here and cover.