POINT SPREAD: Kentucky opens as a road favorite at Oklahoma

by:Tyler Thompson•about 9 hours•

MrsTylerKSR

Dec 11, 2021; Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners mascot during a timeout in the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at BOK Center. Oklahoma won 88-66. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

With just four games left in the regular season, Kentucky needs to take care of business Wednesday night at Oklahoma. Vegas believes the Cats will do it.

Kentucky opened as a 2.5-point favorite over Oklahoma this afternoon on Draft Kings. The total is set at 162.5 points. The No. 17 Cats are coming off the 96-83 loss at Alabama on Saturday, while the Sooners upset Mississippi State 93-87, which snapped a five-game losing streak. The win kept Oklahoma on the NCAA Tournament bubble. The Sooners are currently one of Joe Lunardi’s last four teams in the field, another reason they’ll be very hungry for a win tomorrow night.

While Mark Pope gave a promising update last night, injuries are still expected to play a factor. Lamont Butler (shoulder) and Jaxson Robinson (wrist) have returned to practice in a limited capacity. Butler is expected to be the first of the two to return to action, with Saturday’s game vs. Auburn as the targeted date, according to Matt Jones. We’ll find out Butler and Robinson’s status for the Oklahoma game when the SEC Availability Report drops on Tuesday night.

KenPom projects an 84-82 Kentucky win (57% chance of victory), while BartTorvik favors the Cats by a bit more, 85-81 (62%). ESPN’s Basketball Power Index has the Cats as a 2.8-point favorite.

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Kentucky is 15-12 against the spread this season, but just 0-3 in road games in which they are favorited (at Clemson, at Georgia, at Vanderbilt). Saturday’s loss at Alabama snapped a five-game streak of Kentucky covering. The Cats came up just short of covering the 12.5-point spread in Tuscaloosa.

The Sooners are 12-15 against the spread this season, 1-1 as an underdog at home. Hopefully, the Cats make that 1-2 tomorrow night.

Kentucky vs. Oklahoma: How to Watch, Listen

Date, Time: Wednesday, 9:00 p.m. EST
Television: SEC Network (Roy Philpott, Richard Hendrix)
Home Radio: UK Sports Network – 630 WLAP, iHeart Radio (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
Online Radio: iHeart
Satellite Radio: Sirius 119 or 191
Live Stats: StatBroadcast