Kentucky opens as a big favorite vs. Ball State

We are 102 days away from Kentucky’s season opener vs. Ball State. This morning, Bovada released odds for Week 1 and, as you might expect, the Cats are a big favorite vs. the… [searches for Ball State mascot] …Cardinals. A 26.5-point favorite, in fact.

Ball State was 5-7 last season, 3-5 in the MAC. The Cardinals lost to Tennessee 59-10 to open the season. After playing Kentucky at Kroger Field on September 2, Ball State travels to Sanford Stadium to play defending national champions Georgia. I can’t wait to see the spread on that one.

This isn’t the only Kentucky game we’ve got a line for. Last month, FanDuel released early odds for a handful of games, including Kentucky vs. Georgia. The Bulldogs are a 24-point favorite in that matchup, which takes place October 7 in Athens.

Here are the SEC opening lines for Week 0 and 1 on Bovada:

• Aug. 26: Hawaii vs. Vanderbilt (-18)
• Aug. 31: Florida vs. Utah (-9)
• Sept. 2: South Carolina vs. North Carolina – Pick’em
• Sept. 2: Ball State vs. Kentucky (-26.5)
• Sept. 2: Massachusetts vs. Auburn (-39.5)
• Sept. 2: Middle Tennessee State vs. Alabama (-37)
• Sept. 2: New Mexico vs. Texas A&M (-38)
• Sept. 2: Virginia vs. Tennessee (-28)
• Sept. 3: LSU (-2) vs. Florida State

Sign up for the KSR Newsletter for all Kentucky Wildcats news in the most ridiculous manner possible.

ESPN FPI predicts Kentucky’s record

Earlier this week, ESPN released its FPI (Football Power Index) Rankings for the 2023 season, which includes projected records. The computer model predicts Kentucky’s record will be 7.2-4.9 and the Cats will finish eighth in the SEC, fourth in the SEC East.

1. Alabama – FPI: 28.2, Record: 11.1-1.6
2. Georgia – FPI: 27.4, Record: 11.7-1.2
3. LSU – FPI: 22.1, Record 9.6-2.6
4. Tennessee – FPI: 15.2, Record: 8.2-3.9
5. Ole Miss – FPI: 13.4, Record: 7.6-4.4
6. Florida – FPI: 12.7, Record: 6.8-5.2
7. Texas A&M – FPI: 12.7, Record: 7.5-4.5
8. Kentucky – FPI: 9.7, Record: 7.2-4.9
9. Arkansas – FPI: 9.0, Record: 6.8-5.2
10. Mississippi State – FPI: 7.8, Record: 6.3-5.7
11. Auburn – FPI: 6.9, Record: 5.8-6.2
12. Missouri – FPI: 6.4, Record: 6.0-6.0
13. South Carolina – FPI: 5.6, Record: 5.5-6.5
14. Vanderbilt -FPI: -2.8, Record: 4.0-8.0

Kentucky’s win total remains 6.5 games at several sports books, including BetOnline.ag. I’ll take the over, please.