Wichita State vs. Kentucky Pick
Can No. 2 Kentucky hold off upset-minded No. 10 Wichita State when the two have a rematch of an NCAA Tournament game from a few years ago today at 2:40PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Kentucky is the slight favorite at home, as the Wildcats are getting odds of -4.5 points against Wichita State. The over/under total for the game is listed at 152.5 points. These two last met in the 2014 NCAA Tournament with Kentucky upsetting the top-seeded Shockers in the second round, 78-76. This game will take part in the South Region and air on CBS from Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana
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Kentucky enters today’s game on a 12-game win streak after beating Northern Kentucky 79-70 on Friday. The Wildcats are now 30-5 overall while posting an 18-17 record against the spread. UK comes into today averaging 85.7 points per game on offense while allowing 71.5 on defense. In the win on Friday, Kentucky didn’t shoot all too well, going just 3-of-17 from the arc. Thankfully for the Wildcats, Northern Kentucky shot just 35.6 percent from the field. De’Aaron Fox led Kentucky in the win with 19 points while Edrice Adebayo had 15 points with 18 rebounds.
Wichita State is also on a big win streak, winning 15 straight after a 64-58 victory over Dayton on Friday to move to 31-4 overall. The Shockers didn’t cover the 6.5-point spread, but are still 18-13-1 against the spread on the season. Wichita is now averaging 81.4 points per game on offense while holding opponents to 62.5 points on defense. Over their last five games, they are allowing just 59 points per game. In Friday’s win, it held Dayton to only 31 percent shooting. Landry Shamet lead Wichita State in the win with 13 points while Zach Brown added 12 points.
A lot of people are expecting this to be a repeat of the 2014 matchup, but that was an all-time classic. This isn’t the same Wichita State team. While the Shockers know how to win, I don’t believe they have enough firepower to compete with the Wildcats. Their defense will pose a challenge, but ultimately this Kentucky team has the athleticism and talent to beat a good defense. Wichita just won’t have enough offense to keep pace. The Wildcats didn’t look good on Friday, but they still find ways to win regardless. With the spread so low, I expect them to cover.
MARCH MADNESS PREDICTION: KENTUCKY -4.5