The No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats take on the LSU Tigers in an SEC matchup on Wednesday, February 21. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET, and the game will air on ESPN.
Kentucky (18-7, 8-4 SEC) grabbed a big win over No. 14 Auburn in their latest game, defeating the SEC’s other Tigers 70-59. Antonio Reeves had 22 points for the Wildcats in the win, and they held Auburn to 30.9% from the floor. The Wildcats rank 22nd at KenPom and eighth in adjusted offensive efficiency this season. They average 88.2 points per game (3rd in the nation) on 49% shooting (12th in the nation).
The Wildcats have seen some ups and downs this year, which come naturally to a team with young starters. They lost to the last three ranked SEC opponents they faced before finally grabbing that much-needed win over Auburn. Reeves leads the team in scoring with 19.5 points per game, and all five starters average in the double digits in the scoring column. Kentucky’s defense has been their weakness this season, ranking 82nd in adjusted efficiency.
LSU (13-12, 5-7 SEC) has been upping their game as of late. They grabbed a one-point win over No. 20 South Carolina in their latest game, and before that, they kept No. 24 Florida within two points. These were both road games for the Tigers, who now return home with their sights set on a second consecutive win over a ranked opponent. Tyrell Ward led the win over South Carolina with 16 points.
The Tigers rank 77th at KenPom. They struggled through the start of conference play and are not currently in the picture to make the NCAA Tournament, but something has shifted for the Tigers as of late. Point guard Jalen Cook, who leads the team in scoring, is questionable with a hamstring injury in this game. He was sidelined in LSU’s win over South Carolina.
Kentucky vs. LSU odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Kentucky -6.5
Total: 163
Moneyline: Kentucky -278, LSU +225
Pick: LSU +6.5
I don’t know what’s in the air in Baton Rouge right now, but something seems to be clicking. The fact that the Tigers were able to take down South Carolina on the road without their leading scorer says quite a bit, and after their close loss to Florida, I like them to keep this one close, as well.