Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Kentucky Wildcats Picks, Predictions, Odds

Nate Oats seems to have been the right man for the job when he was hired to replace Avery Johnson as Alabama's basketball coach four years ago. Alabama looks set to make the NCAA Tournament for three straight seasons for the first time in almost two decades, and the Crimson Tide are currently ranked No. 7 in the country.

They have an impressive non-conference resume, and they will have another opportunity to secure a big win when the Kentucky Wildcats come to T Town this weekend. Kentucky and Alabama will meet on Saturday, January 7, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. ET on ESPN from Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Kentucky Wildcats Betting Prediction

This has the potential to be the most exciting game of the day in college basketball. Alabama plays at the second-highest tempo in the country per Ken Pomeroy, and the Crimson Tide are very good on both offense and defense. Meanwhile, John Calipari is trying to right the ship at Kentucky. The Wildcats recently made the move to shorten their rotation as the bench has not been up to par for this program. That has worked out over the last week with Kentucky picking up wins over Louisville and LSU in Lexington, but they have not fared well on the road so far this season.

Score Prediction: Alabama 77 Kentucky 68
Best Bet: Alabama -4.5

Updated on 04/26/2024

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Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Kentucky Wildcats Betting Odds

Alabama -4.5
Kentucky +4.5

Alabama -210
Kentucky +172

Over 150.5
Under 150.5

Odds Subject to Change - per FanDuel

Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Kentucky Wildcats Betting Resources

Date: Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023
TV-Time: ESPN, 1:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Coleman Coliseum
Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Matchup
Expert Picks

SEC Championship Odds

Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Kentucky Wildcats Betting Stats

Alabama Crimson Tide
SU: 12-2
ATS: 8-6
O/U: 7-6-1
PPG: 83.3
OPPG: 71

Kentucky Wildcats
SU: 10-4
ATS: 4-10
O/U: 8-6
PPG: 78.6
OPPG: 66.5

Straight Up (SU), Against the Spread (ATS), Over-Under (O/U)
Points Per Game (PPG), Opponents Points Per Game (OPPG)

Alabama Crimson Tide Betting Analysis

The Crimson Tide have already knocked off two No. 1 teams this season. They bested North Carolina in quadruple overtime on Thanksgiving weekend in Portland, and they went on the road to defeat the Houston Cougars in Texas two weeks later. Alabama's only two losses this season are quality losses, so fans are hoping that this could be the most successful team in the NCAA Tournament era.

Freshman Brandon Miller is the leader of the team and arguably the most talented collegiate player in the country. Some mock drafts have Miller going as high as No. 3 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, as Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson are the consensus top two prospects in this class. Miller is a 6'9 wing with excellent touch, reminding some scouts of last year's No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero. Currently, he leads the Crimson Tide with 19.1 PPG, and he is second on the team with 8.6 RPG. Miller is a superb shooter that is making 44.1% of his threes and 82.1% of his free throws.

Noah Clowney is a potential first-round pick that is averaging 9.8 PPG and 8.7 RPG. Clowney is making 52.3% of his field goals as a low post threat, but he is not a good perimeter shooter. Mark Sears has emerged as the other solid perimeter shooter on the Crimson Tide, finding a nice little niche for himself after transferring to Alabama from Ohio this summer. Fellow freshman Jaden Bradley has had some good performances too, and that's a good thing considering Jahvon Quinerly has not been at his best since returning from a torn ACL.

Kentucky Wildcats Betting Analysis

It hasn't been a great year for the Wildcats. Kentucky has been solid at home, but Big Blue has struggled on the road and at neutral sites. While the Wildcats are 9-0 at home, they are 1-4 away from Lexington and the last three losses were by 10 points or more.

Consensus National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe is back with the Kentucky Wildcats for one more season in Lexington. Tshiebwe is the best rebounder in the country, and he excels on the offensive glass. He is averaging 16.8 PPG and 13.8 PPG while making 61.1% of his field goals to make him one of the most dangerous players in the sport.

There are three other players to watch on Kentucky, and all four players (Tshiebwe included) are expected to see 30+ minutes of action on Saturday afternoon. Cason Wallace is a probable lottery pick with 12.9 PPG while making over 50% of his field goals and 45% of his threes. Jacob Toppin is the second-best rebounder on the Wildcats next to Tshiwbwe and is averaging 11.5 PPG and 6.1 RPG, while Sahvir Wheeler could be the X-Factor in this game for Kentucky. Wheeler is averaging 6.8 APG, and he is making 41.7% of his threes.