Kentucky Has Turned it up Lately
Ninth-ranked Kentucky has rebounded from a loss in its SEC opener to win four straight contests. The team looks to continue the run when No. 22 Mississippi State pays a visit for an SEC showdown Tuesday night.
The Wildcats rolled through Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Georgia before taking a big lead at 15th-ranked Auburn on Saturday. They held on for a confidence-building 82-80 victory.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN LINE: Kentucky -7.5; O/U: 145.
The Wildcats will need the same type of effort to extend their winning streak to 12 games against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are coming off a 2-0 week that included an impressive 71-55 victory at Vanderbilt on Saturday. The Bulldogs lost their first two league games before knocking off Florida 71-68 at home last Tuesday. They then held Vanderbilt to 36.7 percent from the field while senior guard Quinndary Weatherspoon poured in 17 points four days later.
This, That and a Dart Throw
Mississippi State is 14-3 overall and 2-2 in the SEC. Weatherspoon leads the team in scoring (16.6) on 48 percent shooting. Point guard Lamar Peters (13.4 points) tops the Bulldogs in assists (5.8) and made 3-pointers (51). Forward Aric Holman is also a threat at 12.4 points per game on 49 percent shooting from the floor. He also boasts team highs of 8.1 rebounds along with 2.2 blocks. Guard Nick Weatherspoon, Quinndary’s younger brother, is the fourth player averaging double figures in scoring (10.2) and has drained 19-of-41 from behind the arc (46.3 percent).
Kentucky is 14-3 overall and 4-1 in the SEC. Guard Keldon Johnson leads the team in scoring (14.9) and has recovered from being shut out against Georgia on Jan. 15. He poured in 20 points to match Herro against Auburn. Herro is second on the team in scoring (13.5), just ahead of senior forward Reid Travis (13.0), who had 17 points and seven rebounds Saturday.
PREDICTION: Kentucky 76, Mississippi State 68
SEC Basketball Betting Odds & Trends
| Mississippi State Bulldogs |
|---|
| Mississippi State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games |
| Mississippi State is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games |
| The total has gone OVER in 4 of Mississippi State’s last 5 games |
| Mississippi State is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games on the road |
| Mississippi State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road |
| Mississippi State is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games on the road |
| The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Mississippi State’s last 5 games on the road |
| Mississippi State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Kentucky |
| The total has gone OVER in 6 of Mississippi State’s last 7 games when playing Kentucky |
| Mississippi State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Kentucky |
| The total has gone OVER in 5 of Mississippi State’s last 5 games when playing on the road against Kentucky |
| Kentucky Wildcats |
|---|
| Kentucky is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games |
| Kentucky is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games at home |
| Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home |
| The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kentucky’s last 6 games at home |
| Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Mississippi State |
| The total has gone OVER in 6 of Kentucky’s last 7 games when playing Mississippi State |
| Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Mississippi State |
| The total has gone OVER in 5 of Kentucky’s last 5 games when playing at home against Mississippi State |
Next up:
Mississippi State home to Auburn Saturday, January 26
Kentucky home to Kansas Saturday, January 26
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