Kentucky vs. LSU Prediction: Can Kentucky Battle Back?

On Wednesday night, the 17th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats will travel to Baton Rouge to face the LSU Tigers. LSU doesn’t have much to play for at this point, but the Wildcats can get back on track.

Kentucky started the season 14-4 but has gone just 4-4 in their last eight games. The Wildcats have one of the best teams in the country, as usual, but will need to string some wins together to end the year. 

This past Saturday, Kentucky squared off against #13 Auburn in a game that the Wildcats needed to win, and they came through in a big way. If Kentucky had lost this game, they would have been erased from the AP Top 25. 

The Wildcats went on to win 70-59, moving them up to 17th in the country. Kentucky is riding a two-game winning streak and looking to win its third in a row. 

The Tigers season hasn’t been nearly as smooth as in Kentucky. LSU has a 13-12 record and is 10th in the SEC conference. 

LSU plays some of the best competition in college basketball, but they haven’t had many answers. They hosted South Carolina on Saturday and pulled off an exciting one-point win against the Gamecocks, but this hasn’t been typical. 

Besides that impressive win, the Tigers must still measure up to the talented SEC. Here, we will break down the game and our best bets for Kentucky vs. LSU.

Kentucky vs. LSU Betting Odds for Wednesday, Feb. 21st. 

Kentucky comes into this SEC matchup as a 4.5-point favorite on the road. The Wildcats are 5-2 in all away games this season, winning three straight as visitors. 

LSU has collected the majority of its wins at home. They’ve won nine of their 13 home games thus far. However, they are 2-2 in their last four contests in Baton Rouge. 

Kentucky has appeared to show signs of improvement after their recent hiccup. The Wildcats may be putting the pieces back together for a late run.  

Regardless of Kentucky’s recent errors, this game shouldn’t be close if the Wildcats play well. Kentucky must win to stay trending in the right direction. At this point, an LSU win would be playing spoiler against an AP Top 25 opponent. 

Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook. Sign up for FanDuel and get $150 in bonus bets if you wager $5 on your first bet and win.

The ESPN matchup predictor gives Kentucky just a 59.9% chance to win. We have to believe they’re factoring in the fact that the Wildcats are on the road. However, Kentucky is the much better team in nearly every facet of the game. 

Kentucky is the 17th-ranked team in the country and sits in fifth place in the SEC. While this win against LSU would keep them rolling correctly, they’re still a few games behind the other teams in the conference. 

Antonio Reeves leads the Wildcats in multiple ways. The senior out of Chicago has been a consistent leader for this team on and off the court. Against Auburn, he tallied 22 points and rallied his team in trying times. 

Statistically, Kentucky is in the top 50 in many categories. The Wildcats average the third most points in the country with 88.2 per game. They also sit third in team blocks, 14th in assists, and 18th in field goal percentage. 

Kentucky’s defense is where they’ve had issues all season. Kentucky gives up 77.4 points per game, which ranks 317th in the country. 

To evolve back into one of the country’s top teams, the Wildcats will need to tighten some of the loose screws in the backcourt. 

There have been little to no highlights for the Tigers this year. They’ve had a decent offense this season, averaging 77.3 points per game. They’ve also hung around the top 50 in steals up to this point in the season, but this is all the praise we can provide. 

The Tigers can keep any game they are in close because of their fast-moving offense. Yet, the lack of teamwork on that side of the ball has been their downfall. 

LSU averages just 12 assists per game, which is 283rd in the nation. If they can find a way to spread the ball around more, they could present a faster-paced offense. 

Jalen Cook has led the Tigers in scoring all season while only averaging 16.6 points per game. Cook has scored 20 or more points in his last five games and continues to heat up quickly. 

Kentucky vs. LSU Prediction and Betting Pick

LSU is a very persistent team, regardless of what they’ve been through this season. Despite this, they will have too many difficult challenges stopping them on Wednesday. 

The Tigers have shown promising signs for the future, but it just doesn’t seem like the future is now. 

Kentucky is coming off of an upset victory against Auburn, giving them momentum and motivation in this matchup. We’re banking on Kentucky to stay hot!

• Kentucky Wildcats vs LSU Tigers Pick: Kentucky -4.5 at FanDuel Sportsbook

How to Watch Kentucky vs. LSU

• When: Wednesday, Feb. 21st @ 9:00 PM ET

• Where: Pete Maravich Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 

• TV: ESPN

• Streaming: ESPN+

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