Kentucky vs. Alabama odds: Current line, win probability, final score prediction, how to watch

There will be another top-ranked matchup in Tuscaloosa on Saturday with No. 17 Kentucky vs. No. 4 Alabama.

Alabama and Kentucky met earlier this season in a top-ten matchup with the Crimson Tide winning a 102-97 shootout in Rupp Arena on January 18th. They did so behind great performances from their duo of Grant Nelson (25 points (53.8%), 11 rebounds) and Mark Sears (24 points, nine assists).

Alabama (21-5, 10-3) comes in as a top-five team but one having lost two straight to end what was a seven-game winning streak after winning fifteen of sixteen since December. The Tide lost their top-two matchup last weekend at 94-85 to No. 1 Auburn before losing a high-scoring game at 110-98 against No. 15 Missouri on Wednesday. After sliding at the top of the conference standings with those losses and each of their final five also being against ranked opponents, this game is a chance for ‘Bama to get right when compared to the other four they’ll play to close the regular season.

Kentucky (18-8, 7-6) is then entering off of a solid win at 82-61 over Vanderbilt on Wednesday. Still, despite some of their top-notch victories overall, the Wildcats have traded wins for losses in league play with them in the middle of the field right now in the Southeastern Conference. Now, they’ll be asked to find a way to get another one on the road and outgunned with Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson, the team’s starting backcourt, unlikely to be available again for UK.

Odds for Kentucky vs. Alabama

Per the odds at FanDuel, Alabama has opened as a 7.5-point favorite (-120) at home over Kentucky. That has the Wildcats at (+260) as the road dog.

The over-under is then reflective of the offenses and play for these two teams with a total set at 177.5.

Final score predictions for Kentucky vs. Alabama

BPI Predicted Winner: Alabama
BPI Predicted Point Differential: 5.4
BPI Win Probability (for Alabama): 70.4%
BPI Matchup Quality: 91.5

ESPN’s Basketball Power Index (BPI) favors Alabama in this one as well but by a few less points. It has the Tide winning by two possessions with a margin of 5.4 points and a win probability of 70.4.%

The matchup quality then has this as the third highest-rated game on the schedule on Saturday. The other two are top-ten matchups that will air earlier in the day on ESPN with No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 7 Texas A&M before No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 5 Houston.

KenPom Predicted Final Score: Alabama 94, Kentucky 89
KenPom Win Probability (for Alabama): 70%

KenPom had a very similar prediction as the one per the BPI. It’s predicting a five-point win, at another probability of 70%, too for Alabama over Kentucky.

That’s their projected outcome for a game between a pair of teams that are currently each top-five in their ratings in offensive efficiency.

How to watch Kentucky vs. Alabama

Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN, FuboTV (streaming)
Location: Coleman Coliseum (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)

This game will have an impact for both teams as far as seeding for the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. That makes it all the more important for each of them this weekend – with Alabama projecting as a two to three-possession favorite tomorrow in T-Town.