Howard vs Kentucky Odds and Picks (Nov. 7)

• No. 4 Kentucky opens the regular season against Howard on Monday, November 7
• The Wildcats are an overwhelming 27.5-point favorite at Rupp Arena
• Read below for Kentucky vs Howard odds, analysis and prediction

No. 4 Kentucky opens the college basketball season as a 27.5-point favorite over Howard University at 6:30 pm ET, Monday, on the SEC Network and ESPN+. The Wildcats are expected to be without Wooden Award-winner Oscar Tshiebwe and Sahvir Wheeler because of injuries.

Resurgent Howard was picked to finish third in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference preseason poll after going 16-13 a year ago, its first winning season since 2001-02. The Bison have two of the best players in the MEAC: Steve Settle III and Elijah Hawkins.

Howard vs Kentucky Odds

Odds from Barstool Sportsbook on Nov. 6. Claim the Barstool Sportsbook promo code. 

Kentucky is a 27.5-point favorite in the season opener. The Wildcats were 5-0 SU and 1-4 ATS when favored by at least 26 points last year. All were non-conference games at Rupp Arena. Howard covered the number as a 29.5-point underdog in a 100-81 loss at Villanova last year.

Howard was 16-13, SU, 11-14-1 ATS last season.

Kentucky On the Rebound

Kentucky’s version of the blue wave last season was not what the program was accustomed to and certainly not  it wanted — the No. 2 seed and No. 2-ranked Wildcats were upset by Saint Peter’s 85-79 in overtime in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

If you made a $100 bet on Saint Peter's (+1300 ML) to beat Kentucky …

and then rolled over the winnings and bet the Peacocks to beat Murray State (+290) and Purdue (+630) …

The Peacocks would have made you $23,751 🤯 pic.twitter.com/pcVJbWqjnU

— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) March 26, 2022

The Wildcats will begin the recovery from arguably the worst loss in program history with a stocked roster that includes double-double machine Tshiebwe, pass-first point guard Wheeler and (as usual) as group of talented freshmen including potential one-and-done guard Cason Wallace.

Tshiebwe, 6’9 and 254, is a handful for most college defenders because of his bulk and aggressiveness at the rim. He averaged a 17.4-point, 11.6-rebound double-double a year ago and had 30 points and 16 boards in the loss to Saint Peter’s while others struggled. Wheeler led the SEC in assists a year ago, but by the end of the season teams sagged off him, preferring his shot to other options.

Enjoy this Oscar Tshiebwe highlight reel from a NPOY worthy season. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/DGu8K2Vtkc

— Cats Coverage (@Cats_Coverage) November 1, 2022

Wing shooter Antonio Reeves transferred in from Illinois State, where he averaged 201. points per game and made 76 3-pointers (39 percent).  He had 23 points in the Wildcats’ 111-53 exhibition victory over Kentucky State last Thursday, making 5-of-10 3-point attempts.  CJ Fredrick is back after missing last season with a knee injury. He averaged 14.3 points and shooting 46.6 percent from three-point range in two seasons at Iowa and is a very capable perimeter-stretcher.

Tshiebwe has not played while after undergoing a minor knee surgery three weeks ago, and Wheeler suffered a knee injury in the first exhibition game Oct. 11 and has not played since.

Jacob Toppin rising up! @Jtoppin0 #BBN pic.twitter.com/xmFCeFHDBx

— Chris Beasmore (@CBeasmoreSports) November 4, 2022

Athletic senior forward Jacob Toppin will step into a larger role and freshman guard Chris Livingston is expected to fill in for departed starters Kellen Grady, Keion Brooks and TyTy Washington. Kentucky is the ranked No. 1 in the SEC preseason media poll in a loaded league.

Howard on the Way Up

With second-team all-MEAC forward Steve Settle III and point guard Elijah Hawkins as the principal returning pieces, Howard was picked to finish third in the league in the preseason poll behind defending champion Norfolk State and North Carolina Central.

CUSA: Jelly Walker – UAB
Horizon: Antoine Davis – Detroit Mercy
Ivy: Tosan Evbuomwan – Princeton
MAAC: Daniss Jenkins – Iona
MAC: Sincere Carry – Kent State
MEAC: Elijah Hawkins – Howard
MVC: Tucker DeVries – Drake
NEC: Jordan Minor – Merrimack

(More next tweet) https://t.co/ng3PcYu5Xw

— Sean Paul (@SeanPaulCBB) October 28, 2022

Settle, a thin 6’10, averaged 13.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season and got to the foul line. He made 76.7 percent of his 116 free throws. Hawkins was the MEAC Rookie of the Year as a freshman last year, when. he was third in Division I with 5.6 assists per game and 21st with 2.2 steals per game.

Penn graduate transfer 6’5 Jelani WIlliams and Cornell transfer 6’9 Kobe Dickson are expected to make immediate contributions as the Bison continue to build. Howard played only five games in 2020-21 before cancelling the rest of the season because of the Covid-19. It was 4-29 the year before, coach Kenneth Blakeney’s first.

Howard vs Kentucky Prediction

This is the first meeting between Howard and Kentucky, and the outcome is not in doubt. Even if Tshiebwe returns, Howard has the skill and quickness to make a decent game of it.

Pick: Howard +27.5 (-110)