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The Kentucky Wildcats are in desperate need of a win. Kentucky’s grip on the SEC is slipping away from it after yet another loss to a divisional opponent. The Wildcats’ loss to Florida on Saturday was their third in conference this season, putting them behind three other teams in the SEC East. As bad as the loss was, for it to come at home was even worse. Rupp Arena is one of the toughest places to play in the country and to lose there is rough. Kentucky will look to defend its home court once again when it hosts the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
This war on the floor will go down Tuesday, January 23, 2018, at 9 p.m. ET at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. The game will be televised live on ESPN. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Tuesday schedule.
Opening College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
Mississippi State has been surprisingly decent this year. The Bulldogs were one of the nation’s last undefeated teams, thanks in large part to a weak non-conference schedule. However, this has not been a good team to bet on. They are 4-10 ATS on the year and have only covered once in their last five games.
Under has been a great bet in Bulldogs games this year. The under is 10-4 overall on the season, and has been undefeated in their road games. It has cashed in five of the last six as well.
The Wildcats have not been able to protect their home court this year. They are 4-8 ATS at home and 8-11 ATS overall. Over the past two weeks, this team has really struggled. Kentucky has failed to cover in four of its last five, and it lost outright four times.
This offense has been unable to find much of a rhythm in conference play. That has led to the under cashing five times in seven SEC games.
Matchup to Watch
Kentucky is going to be able to deny the three all game long. The Wildcats have one of the best perimeter defenses in the country, and they have held down opposing guards all season. Even a great three-point shooting team like Florida was unable to hit from distance against them. The Gators were a paltry 6-30 from the three-point line
That’s nothing new for Kentucky. The Wildcats have the fourth-best three-point defense in the country. They are holding opponents to hitting just 28.5 percent of their threes this season, an abysmal number.
This defense will make life extremely tough for Mississippi State’s guards. The Bulldogs have had a tough time shooting from three. The only good three-point shooter on the team is forward Aric Holman, who is hitting 53.3 percent of his shots from downtown this season. No other rotation player is shooting better than 31.4 percent from range on the roster.
Key Stat
Conversely, the Wildcats have not been a good three-point shooting team this season. While this team has been pretty good at scoring in the paint, they have not been able to connect from distance. Kentucky is hitting just 34.3 percent of its threes this season, with Kevin Knox hitting a scant 29.8 percent from distance.
It’s been a recurring theme for Kentucky basketball this season. The Wildcats have not been able to hit free throws either. They are hitting just 67.8 percent of their freebies. This team mainly scores because of its athleticism and struggles when running a half-court set.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Kentucky is going to want to come out and make a statement. The Wildcats are extremely talented, but something has just been off about this team. They have been too quick to settle for jumpers rather than exploit their athletic advantage. That will change in a nice win here.
College Basketball Odds: Kentucky 78, Mississippi State 65
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