The No. 5 Texas Longhorns travel this Saturday to Lexington to face the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena for a Big 12-SEC challenge contest. The Wildcats can certainly boost their chances of making it to March Madness if they could take down the visiting Longhorns. Of course, the Longhorns are unlikely to make things easy for the hosts. Check out our preview of this game below.
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Betting Preview for the Texas Longhorns vs Kentucky Wildcats NCAA College Basketball Game on January 30 2021
Where: Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
When: Saturday, January 30, 2021, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Texas Longhorns (odds) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (odds) – view all 2021 NCAAB lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Texas Longhorns (odds)
Record: 11-3 Overall / 5-2 Conference
Texas has lost two of its last three games, but the scoring margin in that pair of setbacks was at a mere total of three points against ranked teams in the form of the West Virginia Mountaineers on the road and the Oklahoma Sooners at home. Sandwiched in between those games was a win for the Longhorns against the lowly Kansas State Wildcats at home on Jan. 16, 82-67. Texas is averaging 76.4 points per game this season while allowing 66.2 points per contest. Speaking of margin, the Longhorns average scoring margin of +10.2 points is ranked 33rd in the nation as of this writing. Texas’ defense is giving up just 90.4 points per 100 possessions. The Longhorns lost to the high-scoring Villanova Wildcats but held the Big East team way below its season average in a 68-64 loss in Norman back in December. Given the struggles of Kentucky on offense this season, the Longhorns should feel confident of their chances in disarming the Wildcats’ attack this coming weekend.
Texas, which is a great-rebounding team with 40.5 boards per contest, is 8-2 against the spread in its last 10 road games.
Betting on the Kentucky Wildcats (odds)
Record: 5-10 Overall / 4-4 Conference
Kentucky isn’t having a particularly great season. The Wildcats head into the game against Texas on the heels of a 70-59 road loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide on Jan. 26 in which Kentucky messed up again on offense. The Wildcats shot just 35.2 percent from the field against Alabama and committed 16 turnovers. Kentucky was doing a decent job of cooling off the dangerous offense of the Crimson Tide, but repeatedly shot itself in the foot with a ton of errors. Kentucky may not be that much of a threat offensively, but it is allowing only 68.3 points per game. The Wildcats’ rim protection is very much felt by their opponents. They are third in the nation with 6.1 blocks per game and fourth with a 10.0 block percentage. Per KenPom, Kentucky is 17th overall with 90.9 points allowed per 100 possessions. Height is usually an advantage by Kentucky, which boasts of the fifth-tallest roster in the nation. With the Longhorns making a trip to Lexington without head coach Shaka Smart (COVID-19), the Wildcats could be facing a Texas team that is not going to play to its full potential.
The over is 3-0 in Kentucky’s last three games as the home team.
Writer’s Prediction
Texas wins, 70-65.
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