The Kentucky Wildcats will be at home to face the Auburn Tigers on Saturday afternoon in an all-SEC affair. Kentucky is 19-9, and they’re on a three-game winning streak, most recently defeating Florida on the road. The Wildcats are also up to 10-5 in SEC play, which is one of the best records in-conference. Auburn is also 19-9, and they’re coming off a tight win over Ole Miss, putting them at 9-6 in conference games. If the season ended today, both schools would likely be in the tourney, but both schools will want to increase their potential seeding anyway, and this matchup is huge for both.
Auburn Tigers vs. Kentucky Wildcats Betting Odds
| Team | Spread | Total | ML |
| Auburn Tigers | +4.5 (-105) | Over 141.5 (-110) | +175 |
| Kentucky Wildcats | -4.5 (-115) | Under 141.5 (-110) | -210 |
Auburn Tigers vs. Kentucky Wildcats Match Details
Fixture: Auburn Tigers @ Kentucky Wildcats
Date & Time: Saturday, February 25, 4:00 p.m. EDT
Venue: Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center
Auburn Tigers vs. Kentucky Wildcats Key Stats
Auburn’s success this year can be attributed to their defense, as they give up only 94.5 points per 100 possessions. They also force teams to shoot under 40% across all games, and 27.7% from behind the arc. The Tigers are one of the best defensive teams in the country, and they’ll need to suffocate Kentucky this afternoon on the road.
Offensively, Auburn relies on sophomore Johni Broome (14.1 PPG) and Wendell Green Jr. (13.9 PPG, 4.3 APG), but sometimes against tougher competition, the Tigers can fall into shooting slumps. Overall, Auburn’s defense is their strength, as they have four guys averaging at least one steal per game. Sometimes defensive rebounding can hurt the visitors though, so this afternoon they’ll need to be a lot more focused down low.
Kentucky excels offensively, scoring 111.2 points per 100 possessions. The Wildcats’ Oscar Tshiebwe has been dominant, averaging 16.2 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2.6 combined steals and blocks. Guards Cason Wallace (4.1 APG) and Sahvir Wheeler (5.6 APG) have been great too, and they function as UK’s top playmakers. When they’re at their best, Kentucky’s offense is free-flowing and can run teams out of the gym. They’re also one of the best rebounding schools in the nation, but at times their defense can be unorganized, so we’ll see if they can stay hot today at home.
Auburn Tigers vs. Kentucky Wildcats Betting Prediction
Both schools are right around .500 against the spread, but Kentucky has covered three straight, while Auburn is just 1-4 ATS in their last five. While Auburn isn’t terrible on the road, it’s always tough coming into enemy territory. Kentucky, led by Tshiebwe, should be able to overwhelm Auburn on the glass, and even though the Tigers’ defense is great, I expect their offense to struggle. Back Kentucky here to win and cover and keep rolling as we near March.
Prediction: Kentucky -4.5 (-115)
Lucas Abrenica’s NCAA Basketball ATS & ML picks this season are 81-56-3 (+181.1 units)
