Kentucky is coming off an incredible buzzer-beating win over Mississippi State and now needs to avoid a letdown against Arkansas to stay in the SEC championship race.
The Wildcats are the better team on paper, as Arkansas has had a disappointing season. The Razorbacks are 9-19 against the spread with a 14-14 overall record. Arkansas came into the season as an SEC dark horse contender and seemed likely to make their fourth straight NCAA Tournament. It has fallen apart this season for some reason, and barring a shocking run to win the SEC Tournament, the Razorbacks will miss the big dance in March.
Kentucky is 17-11 against the spread this season and has been playing some of their best basketball, winning and covering the spread in four of their last five. The Wildcats have won and covered in two straight while hitting the OVER for total points in each, as their offense has been unstoppable.
Here is the Arkansas vs. Kentucky betting news, props and a prediction for this SEC Conference matchup. The game tips off Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on CBS.
Live odds for Arkansas vs. Kentucky
Here are the spread, moneyline and total points live odds for Arkansas vs. Kentucky at the best online sportsbooks.
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Arkansas Razorbacks betting news
The Razorbacks lost a lot of minutes from last season’s Sweet Sixteen squad, and Eric Musselman’s team clearly misses the likes of Ricky Council IV, Anthony Black and Nick Smith Jr.
Arkansas dropped outside the top 100 KenPom rankings on both offense and defense. The team currently ranks 121st for adjusted offensive efficiency and 134th for adjusted defensive efficiency — both all-time lows in Musselman’s five seasons at the helm. The Razorbacks play at a fast pace, ranking 48th for adjusted tempo, but are not scoring efficiently enough to make their fast break dangerous for opponents.
Arkansas expected to be better this season with the return of Trevon Brazile, Davonte Davis and Makhi Mitchell, plus some transfer reinforcements. But Brazile has not looked like the same player returning from injury, Davis has taken a step back in an increased role and Mitchell has not improved enough.
Houston transfer Tramon Mark has been incredible for the Razorbacks. Without him, this Arkansas team might be at the very bottom of the SEC. Mark is averaging a career-high 16.9 PPG to lead the Razorbacks in scoring and is shooting career-highs from the field and three (49.3% & 38 3P%). Mark has not had much help in the backcourt, though, with no other Arkansas guard shooting better than 39% from the field.
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Arkansas Razorbacks team futures
Here are some of the top futures markets for the Arkansas Razorbacks from the top US. online sportsbooks.
- Arkansas to win the National Championship: +100000 (BetMGM Sportsbook)
- Arkansas to make it to the Final Four: +25000 (BetMGM Sportsbook)
Kentucky Wildcats betting news
Kentucky has the 86th-ranked defense for adjusted efficiency but boasts the sixth overall-ranked offense for adjusted efficiency on KenPom. Opponents have to be careful not to let Kentucky get out on the fast break, where they rank 17th for adjusted tempo. With 10 players in the rotation, Kentucky is deep and can run teams out of the gym in a hurry.
Kentucky has scored 91 and 117 points in their last two contests — opponents simply can’t keep up with their scoring. The Wildcats have five players averaging double figures, led by one of the country’s top scorers, Antonio Reeves (19.9 PPG). Reeves does not have to carry the Wildcats alone even though he is capable; in fact, he was not the leading scorer in either of their last two wins.
Freshman Justin Edwards, a potential NBA Draft lottery pick, had a career-high 28 points against Alabama, going 10-of-10 from the field and 4-for-4 from deep. In the Wildcats’ last victory, freshman Reed Sheppard scored a career-high 32 points, including a game-winning floater as time expired. Kentucky’s mix of freshmen like Edwards and Sheppard combined with experienced players like seniors Antonio Reeves and Tre Mitchell (12 PPG) make them almost impossible to defend.
At times this season, getting so many talented players enough touches has been hard. As the season progressed, different players stepped up to be leading scorers on any given night. If the Wildcats’ defense keeps improving, their offense will be strong enough to make them a national title contender.
Kentucky Wildcats team futures
Here are some of the top futures markets for the Kentucky Wildcats from the best online sportsbooks.
- Kentucky to win the National Championship: +3000 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Kentucky to make it to the Final Four: +650 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Kentucky to win the SEC: +11000 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Arkansas vs. Kentucky prediction: Wildcats run Arkansas out of Rupp Arena
Kentucky won on the road at Arkansas earlier this season but had a poor game offensively. Their 63 points was a season low, and the Wildcats will look to keep their offense hot this time around. Arkansas likes to play fast, which falls right into Kentucky’s hands — if the Razorbacks want to run, it could increase the chances of a Wildcats blowout.
Pick: Kentucky
