Ole Miss vs Kentucky Predictions & Best Bets (Jan 24)

• Kentucky is a 9-point favorite over Ole Miss in SEC hoops action on Saturday
• The Wildcats have won four straight
• See my Ole Miss vs Kentucky predictions and best bets for the Jan. 24 matchup, below

The college hoops slate starts bright and early on Saturday, with an SEC showdown between Ole Miss (11-8, 3-3 SEC) and Kentucky (13-6, 4-2 SEC).

Online sportsbooks are siding with Wildcats by a healthy margin, pegging the Wildcats as 9-point favorites in the college basketball odds.

The action gets underway at 11 am ET at Rupp Arena, in Lexington, KY, with ESPN providing the broadcast coverage.

Here are my Ole Miss vs Kentucky predictions and best bets.

Ole Miss vs Kentucky Predictions and Best Bets

ATS Pick: Kentucky -9 (-110 at Caesars)

Winter storms moved this game up an hour, making it the appetizer on a loaded Saturday schedule. After each program cracked the Sweet 16 last season, both the Rebels and Wildcats are longshots in the NCAA Tournament champion odds. Ole Miss is currently on the outside of the March Madness bubble, while UK projects as an 8-seed.

The Wildcats projection will certainly improve if they maintain their current form. They’ve ripped off four straight victories, and I’m backing them to win and cover against the Rebels.

Kentucky boasts a far superior offense than Ole Miss, ranking significantly higher in nearly all key metrics. They’re also a much more physical team, and will be able exploit the Rebels on the boards, leading to prolonged possessions and second chance points.

This is an eruption spot for freshman center Malachi Moreno, who leads UK in shooting percentage and rebounding. The 7-footer will feast on the smaller Ole Miss front court, who were just outrebounded 42-26 in their last contest, and were outscored 38-14 in the paint.

UK is also heating up from three, with four players shooting 38% or better from behind the arc. That group is led by guards Colin Chandler and Denzel Aberdeen, while no Wildcat averages more points per game than guard Otega Oweh. The senior has reached double-figures in 22 games, a streak that dates back to last season.

Key Statistical Metrics: Ole Miss vs Kentucky

As for the Rebels offense, it’s a unit that leaves little to be desired. Ole Miss is outside the top-160 in scoring, effective field goal percentage, assists and three point efficiency. They rank 202nd in field goal percentage inside the arc, and have been held below 70 points in back-to-back outings, and six times in their last 14 contests.

Game-Total Pick: Over 143.5 (-115 at FanDuel)

As for the Ole Miss vs Kentucky total, I lean over 143.5 points. Advanced projection systems have this number pegged at 146, expecting the Wildcats to hang a big total even though they’re shorthanded.

Kentucky is down multiple bodies including starting guard Kam Williams and future NBA’er Jayden Quaintance. Nevertheless, the Wildcats biggest strength is their depth, and injuries haven’t stopped them from averaging 83 points during their four-game winning streak.

The Rebels aren’t likely to slow them down either given their defensive numbers. Ole Miss is 183rd at defending the three point line, and commit more fouls than nearly three quarters of the teams in the nation. Add the frequent trips to the line for the opposition with the Rebels poor defensive rebounding, and it doesn’t take long for enemy offenses to accumulate lots of easy points.

Per college basketball public betting data, the trends are in favor of the over as well. Three of the Wildcats last four contests have cleared the total, as have four of the Rebels past six games.