The No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats take on the No. 14 Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the First Round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 21, and the game will air on CBS.
2024 March Madness picks
No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 14 Oakland best bet
Kentucky (23-9, 13-5 SEC) wrapped up their regular season with a statement win over Tennessee before falling to Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament. The Wildcats had an interesting year — three of their five starters were true freshmen, but you wouldn’t know they hadn’t been here before. Kentucky ended the season ranked fifth in adjusted offensive efficiency.
The Wildcats, led by Antonio Reeves and Rob Dillingham, led the nation in three-point shooting, going 41.2% from the perimeter. They put up 89.4 points per game, ranking second in the nation, and averaged 17.6 assists per game, ranking ninth in the nation. They went on a five-game run to finish the regular season, and while their defense has its shortcomings — allowing 79.7 points per game — this is a team that could heat up and make a deep run in the tournament.
Oakland (23-11, 15-5 Horizon) earned the top seed in the Horizon League and took home the tournament title to earn the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Forward Trey Townsend led the team this season with 16.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. The team put up 76.4 points per game (96th in the nation) while allowing opponents an average of 72.9 points per game (216th in the nation).
Betting lines
Thursday odds
Spread: Kentucky -13.5
Total: 161.5
Moneyline: Kentucky -1050, Oakland +675
Opening odds
Spread: Kentucky -13.5
Total: 163
Moneyline: Kentucky -1100, Oakland +700
All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Best bet: Kentucky -13.5
It’s hard for any team to keep up with Kentucky’s high-scoring offense, and Oakland will be early cannon fodder for this Wildcats team as they set their sights on a deep run. The Golden Grizzlies do not have the defensive presence to contain Kentucky’s multi-faceted scoring attack, and the Wildcats should dominate this game early.