Published Sep 20, 2020
Auburn opens as touchdown favorite over Kentucky
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Nathan King  •  AuburnSports
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Oddsmakers have the Tigers winning their first game of the COVID-19 era of college football.

VegasInsider.com has Auburn opening as a 7-point favorite over Kentucky in the season opener for both teams next Saturday inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The matchup serves as the SEC's first ranked showdown of the season, as the Tigers and Wildcats on Sunday both held firm in their AP poll spots from last week, at No. 8 and No. 23, respectively.

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ESPN FPI gives Auburn an 84.9% chance to win.

After no ranked-versus-ranked season openers in the first five seasons of the Gus Malzahn era, Auburn will now play its third straight after beating No. 6 Washington in 2018 and No. 11 Oregon last season.

Auburn hasn't faced Kentucky in cross-division play since the 2015 season, when AU held on for a 30-27 win in Lexington.

The Tigers have dominated the all-time series, 26-6-1, with only two losses coming in Auburn.

Mark Stoops' team has its 2018 starting quarterback, Terry Wilson, back from injury to lead the UK offense. Kentucky is expected to be buoyed by a stout defense that returns eight starters.

Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CST on SEC Network.

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