Kentucky Wildcats vs St. Peter’s Peacocks Predictions, Picks, Odds, and NCAA Basketball Betting Preview – March 17 2022

The Kentucky Wildcats get the St. Peter’s Peacocks in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats are regulars of March Madness, while the Peacocks are making just their fourth overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Check out our preview below of this Kentucky-St. Peter’s 2022 first-round showdown.

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Betting Preview for the Kentucky Wildcats vs St. Peter’s Peacocks NCAA College Basketball Game on March 17 2022

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

When: Thursday, March 17, 2022, 8:00 PM ET

Line: Kentucky Wildcats (odds) vs. St. Peter’s Peacocks (odds) – view all 2022 NCAAB lines

TV Broadcast: CBS

Betting on the Kentucky Wildcats (odds)

Record: 26-7 Overall/14-4 Conference

Even though the Wildcats fell short of their goal of winning the SEC Tournament, Kentucky is still a powerhouse. And speaking of power, perhaps no Wildcats player personifies that than Oscar Tshiebwe, a relentless player with a voracious appetite for double-doubles as though his existence depends on getting them. Tshiebwe is averaging 17.0 points on 60.2 percent shooting from the field and 15.2 rebounds per contest. He should be able to get his points and rebounds against St. Peter’s. Tshiebwe might not even have to play heavy minutes in this game, which could end in a landslide victory for Kentucky, considering the team being a heavy favorite. Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington can start to get hot in the tourney in this contest as well for the Wildcats, who are fourth in the nation with 120.4 points per 100 possessions and 12th in block percentage (6.4). Stopping the Wildcats on offense will just be as tough trying to score on Kentucky for St. Peter’s.

Kentucky is 6-2-2 against the spread in its last 10 NCAA Tournament contests.

Betting on the St. Peter’s Peacocks (odds)

Record: 19-11 Overall/14-6 Conference

No, no, no, no. This team isn’t a streaming service. The Peacocks finished second in the MAAC regular season standings and overcame the odds to snatch a ticket to March Madness by winning their conference’s tournament. St. Peter’s has won all of its last seven games, including its 60-54 win over the Monmouth Hawks in the MAAC Tournament championship game. Say what you want to say about St. Peter’s strength of schedule, but this team knows how to defend. The Peacocks are 34th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency and sixth in opponents’ effective field goal percentage. They are also top 15 in both opponents’ 3-point and 2-point shooting percentages. St. Peter’s can’t absolutely neutralize Tshiebwe, but it can force enough misses and turnovers to at least prevent itself from getting manhandled.

St. Peter’s is 11-2 against the spread in its last 13 games at a neutral site.

Writer’s Prediction

Kentucky wins, 73-57.

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