Kentucky (+1) Has Won Four Straight Games By 27+ Points

Listen to Roethlisberger’s emotional post-game thoughts last night 🗽. Join our referral competition* here 👇 — let’s talk SEC hoops 🏀

Kentucky vs. LSU Preview

SEC headlines may be focused on the football field right now with Georgia and Alabama facing off in a few days, but the conference has been firing on all cylinders on the hardwood. Two of the nation’s best will be duking it out tonight, when #16 Kentucky travels to Baton Rouge to take on #21 LSU. Here’s how the lines are looking 👇

Kentucky vs. LSU Betting Preview

• Spread: LSU -1

• Moneyline: Kentucky EVEN (bet $100, win $100), LSU -120 (bet $120, win $100)

• Over/Under: 139.5

Kentucky and LSU are two of five teams from the SEC currently ranked, joined by #9 Auburn, #15 Alabama and #18 Tennessee 📈

Red-Hot Wildcats

As is often the case with Kentucky, expectations were quite high for John Calipari’s crew entering the year. Despite one of the worst seasons in program history last year (9-16 record), the Wildcats checked in at #10 in preseason rankings with the fifth-best title odds (+1400)

• A season-opening loss to Duke is nothing to panic over, but after a mild scare against the SWAC’s Southern University and a loss to 3-4 Notre Dame, Kentucky tumbled down to #21 in the AP Poll

• Since then, they’ve won four straight games by a combined 135 points, beating each opponent by at least 27 and averaging 92 PPG over that span

• The improved play of Kellan Grady has been a big reason for the recent surge; over the last four games the sharpshooting Davidson transfer is averaging 18 PPG, hitting 20 of his 31 attempts from deep after only scoring in double figures twice in their first nine games

Grady and the rest of the Kentucky offense will look to stay hot tonight, but they’ll be facing their toughest defensive challenge yet

• LSU is giving up just 55.3 PPG this year (fourth-best in the nation), own the No. 1 defensive rating, and are yet to allow a single opponent to score more than 70 pts

On the other hand, Kentucky has scored less than 70 just once this year, so tonight’s matchup will truly be a clash of styles. The winner…well they’ll have a leg up in what should be a tight SEC race 💪

Trivia question: who has the most points in their time at Kentucky since 2000? Hint: not many players play 3+ years anymore (answer below)

Other Games To Watch

🐯 #9 Auburn vs. South Carolina 

• Spread: Auburn -10.5

• Over/Under: 144.5

• Kentucky and LSU aren’t the only SEC contenders in action tonight. As good as those two have been, Auburn has been the conference’s most impressive team so far, with their lone loss coming in double-OT against UConn

• They’ll face a tough road test against a South Carolina team that has topped 100 points in two of their last three games 

⚡️ #16 Providence vs. Marquette

• Spread: Providence -2

• Over/Under: 137.5

• Providence has been one of the nation’s biggest surprises so far; picked to finish seventh in the Big East preseason poll, the Friars have gotten off to a 13-1 start with impressive wins at Wisconsin, at UConn, and against Seton Hall

• Marquette has also outperformed preseason expectations thus far in head coach Shaka Smart’s first year, highlighted by a thrilling upset over #10 Illinois 

For My Parlay Gurus

In the battle of offense vs. defense, I gotta side with offense. Well, kinda. I have Kentucky making just enough shots tonight to get the job done, but I think it will be one of the lower-scoring affairs we’ve seen out of the Wildcats all season. I’m still rocking with them and the Friars in this parlay 👇

• Kentucky ML @ LSU: EVEN

• Providence -2 @ Marquette: -110

$100 on this bet would win you $282 — if we hit, make sure to email [email protected] for $100**. First come, first serve 😉

Trivia answer: Keith Bogans played four years at Kentucky from 2000-2003, scoring 1,923 total points. Tayshaun Prince is second since ‘00 with 1,775 pts, with Patrick Patterson at 3rd with 1,564 pts