The Arkansas Razorbacks (12-8) travel to face off against the Kentucky Wildcats (15-5) on Saturday, February 1st. This game will be played at Rupp Arena in Lexington and televised on ESPN. Kentucky is coming off a win in their previous game, while Arkansas is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Oklahoma. Tip-off is set for 9:00 ET.
Arkansas Razorbacks vs Kentucky Wildcats
The Razorbacks Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Arkansas Razorbacks Recent Game/Games
Arkansas fell to 12-8 on the season after a 65-62 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday. The Razorbacks were -4 favorites at home but failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 127 fell well short of the O/U line of 147.5.
Trailing 35-31 at halftime, Arkansas allowed 30 points in the 2nd half while scoring 31 of their own, but it wasn’t enough to pull out the win.
The Wildcats Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Kentucky Wildcats Recent Game/Games
Kentucky improved to 15-5 on the season with a 78-73 road win over Tennessee on Tuesday. The Wildcats were +10.5 point underdogs going into the game and not only pulled off the upset but also covered the spread.
After trailing 33-30 at halftime, Kentucky turned things around by scoring 48 points in the second half while allowing 40. The total points for the game ended at 151, surpassing the O/U line of 146.5.
Razorbacks Offense Breakdown
Arkansas struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 37% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc, finishing with 62 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 44.4%, and they managed only 7 offensive rebounds.
Johnell Davis led the team with 18 points, despite shooting 31.2% overall and 27.3% from three. Jeremiah Fears contributed 16 points, hitting 50% of his shots, and D.J. Wagner and Jalon Moore each added 13 points, with Wagner dishing out 5 assists.
Wildcats Offense Breakdown
Kentucky’s offense put up 78 points in their last game, shooting 50% from the field and 50% from three-point range, hitting 12 of 24 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 62%, and they connected on 16 of 24 free throws, shooting 66.7% from the line.
Igor Miličić Jr. led the way with 19 points, shooting 60% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. Koby Brea was perfect from the field, going 5 for 5, including 3 for 3 from three-point range, finishing with 18 points. Zakai Zeigler dished out 6 assists, despite shooting just 27.8% overall and 9.1% from deep.
Razorbacks Team Defense
Arkansas held their opponent to 65 points on 37% shooting from the field. They limited two-point opportunities, with the other team hitting just 11 of 27 attempts for 40%.
From beyond the arc, Arkansas allowed 9 threes on 27 tries, a 33% clip. They sent their opponent to the line 16 times, where they made 13 free throws, shooting 81%. Arkansas also gave up 7 offensive rebounds.
Wildcats Team Defense
Despite a strong defensive effort, the Razorbacks couldn’t come away with the win, allowing 65 points on 37% shooting from the field. Arkansas held their opponent to 40% shooting on two-point attempts, with just 11 makes on 27 tries.
From beyond the arc, the Razorbacks gave up 9 threes on 27 attempts, a 33% shooting clip. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 16 times, where they converted 13 for 81%. Arkansas allowed 7 offensive rebounds.
Razorbacks vs Wildcats Trends
- Across the Razorbacks last three road games, the team averaged 63 points per game while allowing 79. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 0-3, while going 0-3 straight-up.
- Across their ten previous home games, Kentucky has an ATS mark of 6-4. Their straight up record in these matchups was 6-4 while averaging 77 points per game.
- In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Razorbacks have a straight up record of 1-4 and an ATS mark of 1-4.
- Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Kentucky has an ATS mark of 3-7 while going 5-5 straight up.
Razorbacks vs Wildcats Prediction
For a point-spread wager in this Wildcats vs. Wildcats game, we suggest taking the Wildcats at -11. Even though our predictions have the Wildcats winning 77-71, we see the Razorbacks as the better choice on the point-spread.
As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 158.5, and our model projects the Razorbacks and Wildcats to reach a combined total of 148 points. Our bet is on taking the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:February 1, 2025 Arkansas Razorbacks, Kentucky Wildcats