The Kentucky Wildcats are treading water in the SEC, sitting at 7-7 in conference play heading into Wednesday night’s matchup with the Oklahoma Sooners.
Kentucky is currently dealing with injuries to its two top guards – Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson – but it’s still favored on the road in this SEC matchup.
The Sooners are 17-10 this season, but they’ve won just four games in SEC play. Can they turn that around and pick up a win over a ranked opponent at home?
Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to watch in the prop market and my prediction for Wednesday’s contest.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Spread
Moneyline
Total
Kentucky
Amari Williams: Amari Williams does it all for the Wildcats, averaging 11.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game this season. With the Wildcats down their two top guards, they’ve actually used Williams a lot as a passer from the center position. He’s also the anchor of their defense. He is one of several players that need to step up with Butler and Robinson hurt, making him an intriguing option in the prop market.
Oklahoma
Jalon Moore: One of the best scorers in the conference, Moore is averaging 17.0 points per game while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from 3. He could be worth a look when it comes to his points prop tonight since Kentucky ranks 304th in the country in opponent points per game.
There’s no doubt about it, Kentucky is banged up right now.
The Wildcats lost to Alabama over the weekend, and they have been without starting guards Robinson and Butler, as well as backup point guard Kerr Kriisa, as of late. Kriisa may not return this season, and Mark Pope recently admitted that he’s unsure if Robinson and Butler will be 100 percent before the end of the regular season.
Still, the Wildcats are fifth in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency, and they have veteran players like Koby Brea who can step in to play a bigger role. Sure, Kentucky needs freshmen like Travis Perry, Trent Noah, and Collin Chandler to step up right now, but Perry has looked more comfortable in a lead guard role in recent games.
While Oklahoma started out the season well in non-conference play, it has lost five of its last six games, with four of those losses coming by double digits.
Kentucky does give up a ton of points, but it’s also third in the country in points per game. With such a short number, I’ll trust the Wildcats to win this game. Kentucky has plenty of statement wins over ranked opponents this season, and it may be a little undervalued – even with so many players out – on Wednesday night.
Pick: Kentucky Moneyline (-142)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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