Two teams headed in opposite directions square off on Tuesday night at 9 p.m. ET when the No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats (23-4, 12-2) host the Arkansas Razorbacks (14-13, 5-9) at Rupp Arena. Kentucky has bounced back well after its last-second defeat against LSU by winning three straight games, including a dominant victory over then-No. 1 Tennessee. Meanwhile, Arkansas is just 1-5 in its last six games after pulling off a shocking upset over LSU on the road earlier this month. Oddsmakers list Kentucky as a 15.5-point home favorite, while the over-under for total points scored is 145 in the latest Kentucky vs. Arkansas odds after early action on the Over. Before you make any Kentucky vs. Arkansas picks and college basketball predictions, see what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say.
Now the model has dialed in on Kentucky vs. Arkansas. We can tell you the model is leaning over, and it also has generated a strong against the spread pick that hits well over 50 percent of the time. That pick is only available at SportsLine.
The model is well aware that Kentucky enters Tuesday's SEC battle as one of the hottest teams in the nation. The Wildcats feature a suffocating defense that has given up 58 points or fewer in five of their last eight conference games. Defense hasn't always been the calling card for John Calipari's teams, but this year's squad has been dominant, allowing the Wildcats to control the tempo of the game.
In addition to their smothering defense, the Wildcats are also surgical on the offensive end of the floor. Kentucky is knocking down 48 percent of its shots from the field, which ranks second in the SEC. Plus, the Wildcats are 7-1 against-the-spread in their last eight home games against Arkansas.
But just because the Wildcats have been playing extremely well doesn't mean they can cover the Kentucky vs. Arkansas spread.
Despite their recent losing skid, the Razorbacks have found an explosive playmaker who can take over a game. Sophomore forward Daniel Gafford poses an extremely difficult matchup for opposing defenders and is averaging 16.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game this season. The 6-foot-11 forward is coming off an impressive performance against Texas A&M that saw him record 23 points and 13 rebounds.
So who wins Arkansas vs. Kentucky? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Arkansas vs. Kentucky spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed college hoops, and find out.
