Georgia vs. LSU: SEC Championship Game preview, prediction

Picks and predictions for Georgia vs. LSU in the SEC Championship Game looking ahead to College Football Playoff selection

Not much may be on the line in this year's SEC Championship Game, but Georgia is looking to protect its undefeated record and No. 1 national ranking against West challenger LSU on Saturday.

Win or lose, Georgia is a virtual guarantee to make the final four, although not many outside of Louisiana are going as far as to pick against the Bulldogs here, the school's fifth trip to the SEC title game in the last six years.

This game matters: SEC Championship Game schedule, series history

LSU had an outside shot at the College Football Playoff coming into this game, but a shocking upset against an unranked Texas A&M in the finale handed the Tigers a third loss and dropped them from playoff contention. But it's still been a positive debut for head coach Brian Kelly, with wins over Ole Miss and Alabama this season.

What can we expect from this week's conference championship game? Here's our prediction for who wins, and why.

Georgia vs. LSU: SEC Championship Game preview, prediction

Georgia vs. LSU: SEC Championship Game predictions

How to watch, stream

When: Sat., Dec. 3

Time: 4 p.m. Eastern

TV: CBS network

Stream: fuboTV (Try for free)

Odds, point spread, betting lines, trends

Game lines are courtesy of SI Sportsbook and may change after publication

Point spread: Georgia comes into the game as 17.5 point favorites against LSU, according to the lines at SI Sportsbook.

Total: 52 points

Moneyline: Georgia -1000 | LSU +600

FPI prediction: Georgia has the overwhelming 83.0 percent chance to win the game outright, according to the Football Power Index computer prediction model which picks winners based on simulating a team's season 20,000 times. LSU has the outside 17.0 percent shot to pull off the upset.

Related: Georgia vs. LSU picks, predictions: Week 14 college football odds, spread, lines

+ LSU is 4-0 against the spread in its last four games when allowing 200-plus rushing yards in its previous game

+ Georgia is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games after allowing under 275 yards in its previous game

+ LSU is 6-1 against the spread in its last seven games in December

+ The under is 6-1-1 in Georgia's last eight games after a straight-up win of 20-plus points

Picks: College football conference championship game predictions

Georgia vs. LSU: What you need to know

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1. Containing Jayden Daniels. The LSU quarterback will play in the game after dealing with an ankle issue, and good thing for this time owing to how much of its offense he accounts for. Daniels has 15 touchdowns passing with just two interceptions and he's second among quarterbacks nationally with 824 rushing yards, leading LSU in that category. When reduced to one of those dimensions, LSU tends to struggle and limiting his off-script plays is key for Georgia's front seven discipline.

2. Fast starts. What happens in the first quarter could go a long way in deciding which way this game goes. Georgia has done most of its offensive damage in the early in games, outscoring opponents 101-16 in the first quarter and 244-60 in the first half. Conservely, LSU plays its worst defense in the opening frame, allowing 71 total points on the season.

3. Georgia's backs vs. LSU's front. In its two losses to SEC competition, against Tennessee and Texas A&M, the Tigers allowed over 200 rushing yards each time out and surrendered over five yards per carry in those games. Georgia has eclipsed 200 yards rushing in six games and its backs combine for 21 touchdowns. Running the ball with success early can open lanes downfield for Stetson Bennett to connect with uber-gifted tight ends Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington to break open plays in the deeper portion of the field.

Georgia vs. LSU: Fast Facts

+ LSU has won 13 straight games when scoring 30 points

+ Georgia is 55-1 when scoring 30-plus points under Kirby Smart

+ Jayden Daniels has rushed and passed for a TD in six games this season

+ Bulldogs are 0-4 under Smart allowing 30 to 39 points

+ LSU is 2-15-1 against an AP No. 1 team all-time, last winning in 1997

+ Georgia is 3rd nationally with 35 rushing touchdowns

+ LSU is 3-1 against Georgia in SEC Championship Games, outscoring the Bulldogs 79-20 in the last two

+ Georgia is 64 of 66 in the red zone, 1st nationally at 97 percent

+ LSU is 2-1 against top 10 ranked teams this year, beating Ole Miss and Alabama and losing to Tennessee

+ Georgia is No. 1 in scoring defense allowing 11.3 points per game and has posted 26 scorless quarters

+ LSU is 8-0 when leading after the third quarter and 1-3 when trailing

+ Bulldogs have allowed 4 rushing TDs this season

+ LSU is 7-2 when scoring 20-plus points and 6-0 when scoring 30 or more

+ Georgia is 3rd nationally allowing teams to convert third downs 26 percent of the time

+ Daniels is 1 of 4 FBS quarterbacks with 2 or fewer INTs

Georgia vs. LSU Prediction

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LSU has some key pieces moving behind the line — namely stud freshman linebacker Harold Perkins, who has 6.5 sacks this year — to give Stetson Bennett some trouble, but Georgia hasn't allowed a sack in the last five straight games, and surrendered just seven all season.

Georgia has the power, variety, and protection to open running lanes and maintain possession on the ground while Bennett works the intermediate portion of the field with makeable throws to Bowers and Washington, who can extend plays by getting serious yards after the catch.

Daniels has the wheels to throw the Bulldogs' pursuit group at the line out of position a few times than they're used to, but LSU needs more production from its backs to take full advantage against a run stop that is second-best nationally and giving up just three yards per attempt.

College Football HQ Prediction: Georgia 34, LSU 17 but not covering the spread (LSU +17.5) and hitting the under.

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