Kentucky Wildcats Basketball Odds | Spreads, SEC, March Madness Betting Prices
The University of Kentucky is college basketball royalty and the Wildcats are once again among the top teams in the country. Kentucky basketball odds are available to bet on now. See Wildcats game lines and futures below.
Kentucky basketball odds
View Kentucky basketball odds for every game below. Toggle between Kentucky Wildcats spreads, moneylines and totals.
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Kentucky National Title Odds
John Calipari's crew has disappointed in consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, failing to reach the Sweet 16 each time. Two years ago, the Wildcats were ousted by No. 15 seed Saint Peter's. However, Kentucky has gone about its roster construction much differently this time. Just because the Wildcats haven't delivered on the big stage lately doesn't mean their name brand isn't baked in.
The best number available for Calipari & Co. to cut down the nets in the NCAA tournament is . It would be Kentucky's first championship since 2012. As you'll see in March Madness odds below, they're tied with Michigan State for the fourth-shortest price in this market.
Kentucky final four odds
Similar to how betting sites offer College Football Playoff odds early, a Final Four betting market is live. If you prefer Kentucky basketball odds in this regard, their price tag is . Remember that not all sportsbooks post Final Four odds — at least until March. Therefore, your options are certainly more limited than when it comes to claiming the national title.
Kentucky SEC Odds
These betting odds pertain to the Wildcats winning the SEC regular season title. Confirming that with an operator before placing a wager on Kentucky or another program is imperative. If not, you may be betting on a different result than you think. Closer to the start of the SEC tournament, there will also be an option to back the Wildcats in that facet.
Although the Wildcats are favored to win their first SEC regular season championship since 2019-2020, they'll face steep competition from the Tennessee Volunteers. Rick Barnes' bunch is a perennial candidate to finish with the top-rated defense across college basketball. The Vols accomplished that feat last year, surrendering just 0.85 PPP. But their offensive shortcomings have consistently held them back in the Big Dance.
As shown in the table below, Kentucky is set at — equivalent to a 0.66% implied probability. Tennessee is positioned at , which is good for a 13.3% implied probability.
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Wildcats basketball Schedule 2023
Wildcats Roster
Calipari reverted to his old bag of tricks after failing to reach expectations with reigning Wooden Award winner Oscar Twishbe. Kentucky is led by an intriguing collection of five-star talent — highlighted by Justin Edwards and D.J. Wagner. The Wildcats also received a bit of good fortune in the transfer portal. Not only did perimeter marksman Antonio Reeves stick around, but Tre Mitchell also landed in Lexington after Bob Huggins' unexpected departure at West Virginia.
While Mitchell isn't the rim protector that Twishbe was, his floor-spacing prowess allows Calipari to utilize a shooter-friendly lineup for the first time in recent seasons. His presence is even more significant if freshman Aaron Bradshaw (foot) is eased into action.
At the other end of the court, Edwards is the key. The 6-foot-8, 190-pound wing, living in the passing lane, causes plenty of havoc via his off-ball defense. His development is critical for Kentucky to improve its 103rd-rated defensive efficiency, allowing 0.98 PPP.
Additionally, Croatian big man Zvonimir Ivisic has been admitted to the university after a lengthy delay. His bench presence is worth noting since fellow frontcourt piece Ugonna Onyenso is coming off an offseason foot injury.
Who is the Kentucky basketball head coach?
As alluded to, Calipari joined the program ahead of the 2009-10 campaign. In his first six seasons in Lexington, the Wildcats made four Final Four appearances. That includes 2012, in which he helped lead the school to its eighth National Championship. Calipari studied under the legendary Larry Brown at Kansas before taking his first head coaching job at Massachusetts. The former collegiate point guard landed at Memphis, where his dribble-drive philosophy put the Tigers seconds away from a national title in 2008.
How to bet on the Wildcats
Moneyline
The moneyline bet is the simplest bet, where a bettor picks a straight-up winner for the game. Consider the following example:
- Kentucky (-150 ML) vs. Tennessee
In this instance, the Wildcats are decent favorites over the Vols — as indicated by the -150 price tag. On the moneyline, favored teams are indicated with minus numbers. Meanwhile, underdogs are noted with a plus. To haul in exactly $100 with a bet on Kentucky, a bettor would need to wager $150. For all winning wagers, the initial wager amount is also returned.
Point Spread
Betting on the point spread takes the handicapping one step further. Rather than picking an outright winner, a point spread bet indicates how much a team wins or loses. For example:
- Kentucky -10.5 (-110)
- Vanderbilt +10.5 (-110)
The Wildcats are favored by 10.5 points, showcased by the aforementioned minus sign, against the Commodores. For Kentucky -10.5 to win, the Wildcats must win by 11 or more points. A successful bet on Vanderbilt would require the Commodores to lose by ten or fewer points — or to win the game straight up. The number in parentheses is the price of the spread. To win $100 on either side, a bettor would need to risk $110. The 10 cents of "vig," or the defacto tax one pays to wager at a sportsbook, is the norm for most spreads.
Point Total (Over/Under)
The point total (or "Over/Under") refers to the points scored between two teams in a certain matchup. Let's use Kentucky's game against Arkansas as an example. Let's say it has a projected total of 135.5. The Wildcats and Razorbacks must combine for 136, regardless of a winner, for the over to hit. So, if Arkansas wins 70-67, that side of the total would cash in. Should Kentucky win 70-58, the under would hit.
Like point spreads, the price on either side of an Over/Under bet is typically -110, requiring a $110 wager to win $100.
In-Play, Live Betting
The above betting options are available in two forms: pre-live (before the game starts) or live betting (during the game). Live betting presents unique decisions for bettors not found in pre-live bets.
Odds are ever-changing during contests, creating potentially inefficient markets. For example, say Kentucky was an 8.5-point favorite over Louisville before the game started. Maybe the Cardinals jump out to an early lead, making several contested shots despite failing to shoot well from behind the arc all season. After all, Louisville lacks consistent guard play at the onset of the 2023-24 campaign. At this juncture, Kentucky could be a 2.5-point spread market in the live betting market.
It's up to bettors to decide whether Kenny Payne's team will continue its possibly lucky performance — or if Kentucky will bounce back and win by three points or more.
Parlaying Kentucky Basketball Odds
Weaving together multiple bets together can come in the form of parlay bets. A parlay combines any two or more bets to get better odds, on the stipulation that all bets in the parlay are successful. For example, pairing Kentucky -215 ML with Tennessee -190 ML could result in +152 parlay odds – more alluring than either individual wager. But both bets must win for your parlay to cash.
Almost every sportsbook offers a cash-out feature on parlays and straight bets. This tool allows customers to contemplate taking a slight win — or loss — rather than waiting on the final result(s). Cashouts aren't available every minute of the game, though. You should not bank on cashing out at any point.
Kentucky Wooden award odds
Unsurprisingly, Wooden Award betting odds are up at Caesars Sportsbook — one of the lone operators to post them year-over-year. Among them, the aforementioned Edwards was positioned at +6000. Zach Edey, Purdue’s 7-foot-4 center and the reigning National Player of the Year, who was a +240 favorite to repeat earlier this season, has pulled away from the field with -2500 odds. Click any of the odds below to place a wager.
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