The Kentucky Wildcats are set to face the Arkansas Razorbacks. Check out our college basketball odds series, which includes our Kentucky Arkansas prediction, odds, and pick.
Kentucky has become a very resilient team in recent weeks, as college basketball odds analysts are aware of. Kentucky did not have TyTy Washington or Sahvir Wheeler for either the Alabama game last Saturday or for the LSU game this past Wednesday. In both instances, Kentucky struggled in the first half and fell behind by 10 points or more. Both times, the Wildcats rallied to win with their reserves supporting national player of the year candidate Oscar Tshiebwe. This is something to note when considering a Kentucky Arkansas prediction.
The star of the LSU comeback on Wednesday was Bryce Hopkins. He has not been a core rotation player for the Wildcats this season, but with Kentucky struggling and shorthanded, he was called upon by John Calipari. He scored 13 huge points to lift UK to a 71-66 win and keep Big Blue in the running for a possible No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky is continuing to find ways to deal with injuries which have accompanied the team all season, going back to C.J. Fredrick's injury which took him out for the full campaign last fall. When thinking about a Kentucky Arkansas pick, remember that the Cats were leading Auburn on the road when TyTy Washington got hurt. They also lost at LSU when Washington was injured. With better injury luck, Kentucky might be leading the SEC right now. This is a tough team which won't back down from anyone.
Arkansas struggled for a good portion of the season. Well into January, this team was struggling to find the right energy, the right combinations on the floor, the right way to play together. Coach Eric Musselman eventually managed to make the pieces fit. A team which had lost at home to Vanderbilt and was blown out at Mississippi State shrugged off the slow start to SEC play and finally found an elusive groove. Arkansas has, in recent weeks, beaten Auburn and Tennessee at home in Bud Walton Arena, where it is extremely tough to beat. Arkansas is digging in at the defensive end of the floor and flustering opposing offenses. The energy Musselman's teams are known for has surfaced, and one shouldn't expect it to fade away anytime soon.
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Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Kentucky-Arkansas odds:
College Basketball Odds: Kentucky-Arkansas Odds
Kentucky: +3 (-110)
Arkansas: -3 (-110)
Over: 144 (-110)
Under: 144 (-110)
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Why Kentucky Could Cover the Spread
The Wildcats are a No. 1 seed when all their players are healthy. It's true that they aren't fully healthy, but the two recent comebacks without Washington and teammate Sahvir Wheeler speak to this team's resourcefulness. Kentucky is, alongside Auburn, the class of the SEC.
Why Arkansas Could Cover the Spread
The Razorbacks beat Auburn and Tennessee at home this season, so why not Kentucky, especially with the Wildcats not having all their players 100 percent fit?
Final Kentucky-Arkansas Prediction & Pick
Kentucky is a very good, very tough team, but Arkansas has reestablished its home-court identity at Bud Walton Arena. If this team could handle Auburn at home, it can handle Kentucky.
Final Kentucky-Arkansas Pick: Arkansas -3
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