NCAA Odds: Kentucky Wildcats at Alabama Crimson Tide
The young Kentucky Wildcats are trying to learn how to win on the road in the SEC as they visit the Alabama Crimson Tide on Tuesday night.
No. 12 Kentucky (14-3 straight-up, 7-5 against the spread) has played just one SEC road game this year, a 77-70 loss at Georgia as five-point favorites back on January 8.
Kentucky only shot 38 percent from the field and had three players foul out late. This is an extremely thin team with just 10 guys on the roster and a six-man rotation. The three leading scorers are all freshmen with forward Terrence Jones (18.6 PPG) and guards Brandon Knight (17.5 PPG) and Doron Lamb (13.8 PPG).
The Wildcats are 2-2 SU and ATS in true road games this year. They were 6-2 SU and 5-3 ATS in SEC road games last year, although that was a completely different squad with five players who left as NBA first-round picks.
Coach John Calipari was angry about the Georgia loss and Kentucky has rebounded with home wins over Auburn (78-54) and most recently LSU (82-44). The ‘under’ went 2-0 and is 7-4-1 on the season. Kentucky is only 1-10 ATS in its last 11 games after allowing less than 50 points.
Jones has been the sixth man the last two games instead of Lamb. He scored 35 total points in his new role and should remain there Tuesday night. The 6-foot-8 Jones is the team’s only rotation player over 6-foot-7 with the exception of 6-foot-10 Josh Harrellson.
Harrellson and Jones combine for 18.5 rebounds per game. The team is No. 1 in the SEC in rebounding margin (7.2 per game) with every player hitting the boards. Center Enes Kanter from Turkey would have been a huge addition, but was recently ruled permanently ineligible.
Alabama (10-7 SU, 5-8 ATS) had a tough start to the year at 5-6 SU and 1-7 ATS. There were outright losses to St. Peter’s and Iowa as 12 and 8 ½-point favorites respectively and second-year coach Anthony Grant seemed he would be lucky to match last year’s 17-15 SU mark.
Grant’s guys have turned things around the last six games, going 5-1 SU and 4-1 ATS. The only loss was last Saturday at Arkansas, 70-65 as two-point underdogs. Bama led 63-59 with just over three minutes left until the Razorbacks ended with an 11-2 run.
Alabama did have wins and ‘covers’ in its first two SEC games at Mississippi State (75-57) and home to South Carolina (57-47).
The 135 combined points scored in the matchup with Arkansas went over the 127-point total. The ‘over’ is 5-2 in the Crimson Tide’s last seven games with totals, a lot of them low.
Alabama ranks 10th among SEC teams in scoring at 67.5 PPG (Kentucky is tops at 80 PPG). However, Alabama leads in points allowed at 56.8 PPG.
The team has two solid scorers in forwards JaMychal Green (15.4 PPG) and Tony Mitchell (14.4 PPG). Guards Charvez Davis (9.4 PPG), Trevor Releford (9.7 PPG) need to be more consistent with their offensive output.
The Crimson Tide match up well against Kentucky size and depth wise. They were 0-2 SU, but 2-0 ATS in the two meetings last year at Kentucky and in the SEC tournament. Kentucky is 4-1 ATS in its last five at Alabama. The ‘under’ is 5-1 in the last six at Alabama.
Neither team is reporting any significant injuries. ESPN will have the 6 p.m. (PT) tip-off from Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa following Michigan State at Illinois.
The young Kentucky Wildcats are trying to learn how to win on the road in the SEC as they visit the Alabama Crimson Tide on Tuesday night.
No. 12 Kentucky (14-3 straight-up, 7-5 against the spread) has played just one SEC road game this year, a 77-70 loss at Georgia as five-point favorites back on January 8.
Kentucky only shot 38 percent from the field and had three players foul out late. This is an extremely thin team with just 10 guys on the roster and a six-man rotation. The three leading scorers are all freshmen with forward Terrence Jones (18.6 PPG) and guards Brandon Knight (17.5 PPG) and Doron Lamb (13.8 PPG).
The Wildcats are 2-2 SU and ATS in true road games this year. They were 6-2 SU and 5-3 ATS in SEC road games last year, although that was a completely different squad with five players who left as NBA first-round picks.
Coach John Calipari was angry about the Georgia loss and Kentucky has rebounded with home wins over Auburn (78-54) and most recently LSU (82-44). The ‘under’ went 2-0 and is 7-4-1 on the season. Kentucky is only 1-10 ATS in its last 11 games after allowing less than 50 points.
Jones has been the sixth man the last two games instead of Lamb. He scored 35 total points in his new role and should remain there Tuesday night. The 6-foot-8 Jones is the team’s only rotation player over 6-foot-7 with the exception of 6-foot-10 Josh Harrellson.
Harrellson and Jones combine for 18.5 rebounds per game. The team is No. 1 in the SEC in rebounding margin (7.2 per game) with every player hitting the boards. Center Enes Kanter from Turkey would have been a huge addition, but was recently ruled permanently ineligible.
Alabama (10-7 SU, 5-8 ATS) had a tough start to the year at 5-6 SU and 1-7 ATS. There were outright losses to St. Peter’s and Iowa as 12 and 8 ½-point favorites respectively and second-year coach Anthony Grant seemed he would be lucky to match last year’s 17-15 SU mark.
Grant’s guys have turned things around the last six games, going 5-1 SU and 4-1 ATS. The only loss was last Saturday at Arkansas, 70-65 as two-point underdogs. Bama led 63-59 with just over three minutes left until the Razorbacks ended with an 11-2 run.
Alabama did have wins and ‘covers’ in its first two SEC games at Mississippi State (75-57) and home to South Carolina (57-47).
The 135 combined points scored in the matchup with Arkansas went over the 127-point total. The ‘over’ is 5-2 in the Crimson Tide’s last seven games with totals, a lot of them low.
Alabama ranks 10th among SEC teams in scoring at 67.5 PPG (Kentucky is tops at 80 PPG). However, Alabama leads in points allowed at 56.8 PPG.
The team has two solid scorers in forwards JaMychal Green (15.4 PPG) and Tony Mitchell (14.4 PPG). Guards Charvez Davis (9.4 PPG), Trevor Releford (9.7 PPG) need to be more consistent with their offensive output.
The Crimson Tide match up well against Kentucky size and depth wise. They were 0-2 SU, but 2-0 ATS in the two meetings last year at Kentucky and in the SEC tournament. Kentucky is 4-1 ATS in its last five at Alabama. The ‘under’ is 5-1 in the last six at Alabama.
Neither team is reporting any significant injuries. ESPN will have the 6 p.m. (PT) tip-off from Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa following Michigan State at Illinois.
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