Bet On NCAA Basketball: #16 Hilltoppers vs. #1 Wildcats
Western Kentucky pulled off an amazing comeback to beat Mississippi Valley State 59-58 in the first game of this year’s NCAA Tournament.
NCAA Tournament Matchup: Western Kentucky vs. Kentucky
South Region
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Time/TV: 6:50 PM EST onTBS
College Basketball Gambling Odds from JustBet
NCAA Basketball Betting Favorite: Kentucky -25.5
Over/Under: Off
They’ll have to be light years better to even stay within 20 points of the number one overall seed Kentucky Wildcats.
It’s two teams from Kentucky squaring off against each other in Lousville, so there should be plenty of excitement in the building.
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers actually have a losing season on the year. Coach Ray Harper took over in the middle of the season and got the program going in the right direction again. The team has now won seven straight games, but they haven’t faced a test like they are going to face on Thursday night.
This is a team that struggles mightily shooting the basketball. Against Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday they were 19 for 63 from the floor. On the season they shoot just 39% from the floor overall and 30% from three-point range. Derrick Gordon is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder. He averages 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
Kentucky comes into this NCAA Tournament as one of the biggest favorites in recent memory. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
There will be tons of brackets filled out this year that have Kentucky on the final line. Anthony Davis will likely be the National Player of the Year. He is a shoe-in for Defensive Player of the Year. Davis had 156 blocks during the regular season, and he is the best shot blocker college basketball has seen in quite some time. He also leads the team in scoring and rebounding.
Doron Lamb was part of the Wildcats impressive run to the Final Four last year. Lamb shoots 46% from beyond the arc. Terrence Jones was on that team as well, and he is a 6’9 forward who has tons of versatility. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is another star freshman who averages 11.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
Darius Miller is the team’s senior leader, and he can do everything quite well. Marquis Teague is improving as the year goes along, and the team needs him to be steady at the point guard spot.
This game should be over by halftime. Western Kentucky played some horrific basketball for 35 minutes on Tuesday night, and they are likely to get blown off the floor here.
Kentucky should be focused and ready to go.
Free College Basketball Pick: Kentucky -25.5
Prediction: Kentucky 82 Western Kentucky 51
