The Kentucky Wildcats (17-7) travel to face off against the Auburn Tigers (20-5) on Saturday, February 17th. This game will be played at Neville Arena in Auburn and televised on ESPN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 6:00 ET.
Kentucky Wildcats vs Auburn Tigers
The Kentucky Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win
As an underdog this season, Kentucky has gone 2-2, and they are 17-7 overall. On the road, the Wildcats are 5-3 compared to 12-4 at home. For the season, they are scoring 74.9 points per game while allowing 69.9 points per contest. In their last outing, Kentucky defeated Ole Miss by a score of 75-63.
Over their last 10 games away from home, the Wildcats are 6-4, and they are 2-3 in their previous five road games. For the year, they have an average scoring margin of +6.0 points per game on the road.
Against the spread, Kentucky has a 13-11 record this season. When looking at their ATS mark as the underdog, the Wildcats are 3-1 this year and 7-3 in their last 10 games. On the road, Kentucky has gone 4-4 vs. the spread this season and they are 5-5 in their last 10 road games vs. the spread.
This season, the over/under record for Kentucky games is 18-6. So far, the average over/under line in their games is 156.9 and today’s line of 164 is higher than that average. In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 and this year, 17 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line.
The Auburn Tigers Are Coming Off A Win
Coming into this game, Auburn has been nearly unbeatable at home, going 13-0 on the season. They have won their last 13 games at home, and their average margin of victory at home is +22.1 points per game. Overall, Auburn is 20-5 this season, including a 9-3 record in Southeastern Conference games.
So far, Auburn has been favored in 24 of their 25 games, going 20-4 in those games. Their average scoring differential on the road is +9.8 points per game, and they are 7-5 on the road this season. In their last game, Auburn beat South Carolina by a score of 101-61. Over their last 10 games at home, Auburn is a perfect 10-0.
As the favorite this season, Auburn has an ATS record of 16-8. At home, their ATS mark is 9-4 and over their last 10 games as the favorite, they are 8-2 vs. the spread. In their last three home games, the Tigers have gone 3-0 ATS and they are 5-0 ATS in their last five home contests.
Today’s over/under line of 164 for the Auburn vs Kentucky game is higher than the average over/under line in Auburn’s games this season (150.1). In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 and the average scoring total is 162 points.
Kentucky Offense Breakdown
The Kentucky offense is coming off a game in which they scored 75 points vs. Ole Miss. Overall their field goal percentage was 51.9% while connecting on 6 threes. Currently leading the team in scoring is Antonio Reeves who comes into today’s matchup averaging 19.4. Rob Dillingham also heads into the game with a PPG average of 14.8.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antonio Reeves (G) | 19.4 | 4.3 | 1.6 |
| Rob Dillingham (G) | 14.8 | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| Reed Sheppard (G) | 12.4 | 4.3 | 4.2 |
Auburn Offense Breakdown
Coming off a good offensive performance, Auburn’s offense scored 101 points against South Carolina. Their field goal percentage for the game was 61%, and they went 17/19 from the free-throw line. Jaylin Williams led the scoring for the Tigers, contributing 23 points. Additionally, Johni Broome chipped in with 21 points.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johni Broome (F) | 16.2 | 8.4 | 1.9 |
| Jaylin Williams (F) | 13.4 | 4.9 | 1.9 |
| Chad Baker (G) | 9.4 | 3.6 | 2.2 |
Kentucky Team Defense
Currently, the Wildcats’ defense holds the 299th rank in the nation, allowing 78.1 points per game. Kentucky’s three-point defense is currently 225th in the country at 8.5 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 42.1% of their shots vs. Kentucky.
Auburn Team Defense
Auburn’s defense has been playing well, ranking 56th nationally, with 66.9 points allowed per game. So far, the Auburn defense is giving up an average of 9.9 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 10.1 times per game (422nd).
Wildcats vs Tigers Trends
- Across the Wildcats last three road games, the team averaged 85 points per game while allowing 74. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-2, while going 2-1 straight-up.
- Through their last five home games, Auburn has an ATS record of just 2-3. However, their overall record was 2-3 while averaging 73 points per game.
- The Wildcats have played well in their last three games as the betting underdog, going 2-1 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.
- In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Tigers have a strong straight up record of 4-1. In addition, their ATS record was 4-1 in these scenarios.
Wildcats vs Tigers Prediction
When looking to get a point-spread pick down in this Tigers vs. Tigers game, our recommendation is to take the Tigers at -8. Despite our model showing the Tigers winning 75-70, we like Wildcats as our point-spread pick.
As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 164, and our model projects the Wildcats and Tigers to reach a combined total of 145 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 17, 2024 Auburn Tigers, Kentucky Wildcats