SEC betting action gets the spotlight ESPN treatment on Saturday night when the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats invade the Moody Center in Austin, TX to run with a struggling bunch of Texas Longhorns. Mark Pope’s kids moved to 7-1 against teams ranked in the Top 15 on Tuesday night after beating Tennessee 75-64 as short home dogs to sweep the season rivalry from the Volunteers. Rodney Terry’s troops continued to find just how tough SEC play is that same night after getting thumped at home 103-80 by the Alabama Crimson Tide. It’s been a decade since these teams last ran up against one another on the hardwood.
I expect oddsmakers at the crypto sportsbook to have this game lined around a pick ‘em with the total set in the low to mid-160s. Should Texas be without Arthur Kaluma, Kentucky will be a slight road chalk.
Bet NCAA Basketball Parlays at BookMaker.eu
Kentucky Wildcats
The Wildcats have been one of the more schizophrenic teams in the nation for College Basketball bettors to handicap. They go out and lose to Vanderbilt one game, and then follow it up with an impressive win in Knoxville. Since falling 98-84 as 5-point road dogs to Ole Miss, the Wildcats have banked a pair of impressive wins and college basketball spread covers against South Carolina and Tennessee to claw to a game over .500 in SEC play. When on, the offense has proven its one of the more lethal units in the country—it was on Tuesday night!
Kentucky had four players score in double figures, with Ansley Almonor and Otega Oweh leading the way with 13 points each. However, it was the Wildcats’ sharpshooting from deep that ultimately sealed the sweep over Tennessee. They knocked down 50 percent of their 24 three-point attempts, with Koby Brea’s two clutch threes fueling a game-clinching 17-4 run. That surge came immediately after Tennessee took its second lead of the game with under five minutes to play, crushing the Volunteers’ hopes of a comeback.
Texas Longhorns
The Horns fell to 10-5 straight up (SU) and 8-6-1 against the spread (ATS) as a host after falling to the Tide by 23 points. Never once in a position to cover the closing 5-point CBB odds, Texas allowed Alabama to shoot 61.8 percent from the field and served up 17 long range bombs to Jarin Stevenson and his mates. On top of that, it got absolutely destroyed on the glass (41-25). To add insult to injury, Arthur Kaluma, the team’s leading rebounder, was forced from the game early with a knee issue which leaves his availability in question Saturday night.
Tre Johnson and Jayson Kent did their best to keep Texas competitive against Alabama, combining for 43 points and six rebounds. However, only one other Longhorn reached double figures. Already undermanned with Devon Pryor a game-time scratch, Texas stood little chance against a red-hot Crimson Tide squad. The absence of Kaluma’s rebounding prowess was felt in the one-sided romp.
Kentucky at Texas Same Game Parlay Picks
You might want to buy some Kentucky shares of to cut down the nets right now with its rate of return the highest it’s been all season (35/1). The Wildcats hit the board (18/1), but have shown it can rise up and play with anyone evidenced by tallies in the win column against Duke, Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi State, and Texas A&M. Pope has only utilized a fully healthy roster in seven of the team’s 24 played games! Imagine what this team could look like if the injury bug finally stops targeting its locker room.
It’s difficult to accurately cap this matchup with Texas uncertain about Kaluma’s availability. Given Terry’s “day-to-day” comments postgame, he’s likely out. Without him, the Longhorns will struggle to generate second-chance opportunities against a Kentucky squad ranked No. 36 in defensive rebounding percentage. Their interior defense will also take a hit, which is concerning given their No. 41 ranking in two-point defense. Texas’ best hope is catching fire from beyond the arc, but that plays into Kentucky’s strength, as the Wildcats rank No. 21 in perimeter defense. I’ll back Kentucky’s hot hand to secure a solid road win in a lower-scoring game than the total suggests.
Kentucky ( - )
Kentucky/Texas Under
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
Check out the latest odds at BookMaker
