Lay Points with Kentucky vs Oakland

· Mar 21 - 5 minutes read

Third-seeded Kentucky is under scrutiny heading into this year’s NCAA Tournament. A quick exit from the SEC tournament has put Kentucky on upset watch, but NCAAB lines have little faith in the 14th-seed Oakland capitalizing on it.

In the Golden Grizzlies’ last game, they faced Milwaukee in the Horizon League championship, winning 83-76. On the other hand, in Kentucky’s first and only game in the SEC tournament, the Wildcats lost to Texas A&M 97-87.

Oakland vs Kentucky Game Information

Game: Oakland (23-11) vs Kentucky (23-9)
Day/Time: Thursday, March 21, 7:20 p.m. ET
Location: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
Oakland vs Kentucky Live Stream: TBS.com

On paper, some NCAAB expert picks could flirt with the idea of Oakland upsetting Kentucky. The two had drastically different conference tournaments, which could lead to some concern for Kentucky. However, Kentucky is still the better team, keeping the odds leaning in its favor.

Oakland vs Kentucky Odds and Spreads

Betting Odds Calculator

Oakland vs Kentucky Betting Trends

Wildcats are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Wildcats are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog of 7.0-12.5.
Wildcats are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 NCAA Tournament games as an underdog.
Over is 5-0 in Wildcats last 5 games as an underdog of 0.5-6.5.
Over is 5-0 in Golden Grizzlies last 5 neutral site games as a favorite.
Over is 4-0 in Wildcats last 4 Thursday games.
Over is 4-0 in Wildcats last 4 games following a double-digit loss at home.
Over is 4-0 in Wildcats last 4 games after allowing more than 90 points in their previous game.

Oakland vs Kentucky ATS Pick: Kentucky -13½

Heading into the SEC tournament, college basketball lines favored Kentucky winning the conference. The Wildcats entered the tournament with a five-game winning streak. They also ended the regular season with a win over Tennessee, which had the best record in the SEC and earned the top seed.

Kentucky earned the second seed and played its first tournament game in the quarterfinals, going up against Texas A&M. That loss immediately set back any momentum the Wildcats had gained in March Madness odds.

Scoring points has not been an issue for Kentucky, which has one of the best offenses in the nation. The Wildcats are averaging 89.4 points, the second most in the country, which is why they are a third seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, defense has been an issue all season. Kentucky allows 79.7 points per game, and like in the loss to Texas A&M, if an opponent can keep up offensively, the Wildcats are in trouble.

Oakland might not be a team that can exploit Kentucky’s defensive shortcomings. The Golden Grizzlies averaged 78.9 points in conference play, which you would love to be higher for them to pull off the upset against Kentucky.

Bet On This ATS Pick

Oakland vs Kentucky Over/Under Pick: Over 163½

In most games Kentucky plays, the over is always an option for college basketball picks. The Wildcats have some of the most talented offensive players in the nation, headlined by Antonio Reeves and Rob Dillingham, who average a combined 35.4 points. Both should be able to have big games in this matchup with Oakland, pushing for the over.

Trey Townsend went off for a big performance in the Horizon League Tournament. He finished the tournament averaging

20 PPG
10 RPG
4 APG
2 SPG
1 BPG

Oakland also won the tournament. pic.twitter.com/MYaZfVN2aW

— KJ (@KJ__Hoops) March 13, 2024

Furthermore, the poor performance of Kentucky’s defense could open the door for Oakland to have decent offensive success. That is noteworthy when looking back at how Trey Townsend performed in the Horizon League championship. He scored 38 points in the championship game and averaged 16.9 this season.

Bet On This O/U Pick

Oakland vs Kentucky Player Prop Pick: Antonio Reeves Over 20.5 points (-114)

Of the top three scorers going into this game, Reeves is the easiest pick for prop bets. He has been one of the most consistent scorers in the SEC all season, averaging 20 points. On top of that, he struggled in Kentucky’s only game in the SEC tournament with 13 points in 18 minutes while dealing with foul trouble. If he can stay out of foul trouble, Reeves could be in for a big game to start the NCAA tournament.

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Oakland vs Kentucky Score Prediction

Kentucky 89, Oakland 75

Bet On Oakland vs Kentucky

Questions of the Day

Is Kentucky a team to build your bracket around?

While Kentucky is a good team and has the promise to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, it probably won’t due to its defensive shortcomings.

Can Oakland pull off the shocking upset?

Nothing is impossible in the NCAA Tournament, but it will be hard for Oakland to upset a top team like Kentucky in this matchup without one of the elite offenses in the tournament.

The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.