POINT SPREAD: Kentucky vs. Ohio State Opening Line in the CBS Sports Classic

Kentucky is returning to Madison Square Garden for the 21st time at the famed venue. The Wildcats are 14-6 all-time but have lost two straight in the Big Apple. Tyrese Maxey‘s 26 points in 2019 lifted the Cats to a win over top-ranked Michigan State.

Ohio State is standing in the way of an 11-1 start to the Mark Pope era. The Wildcats open as a 5.5-point favorite over the Buckeyes with a total of 160.5. UCLA is a 1.5-point favorite over North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic opener.

Kenpom projections call for an 83-78 win over Ohio State. Bart Torvik is a little more bullish on the Wildcats with a projected final score of 84-77.

Ohio State is 7-4 overall and 7-4 Against the Spread (ATS) in Jake Diebler’s first season as the full-time head coach. Under bettors cashed tickets in three straight games before the Buckeyes blew out Valpo. Kentucky bettors have had a much more difficult time as of late. After covering in the first five games of the season, the Cats have only covered once in the last six games, winning outright as an underdog against Gonzaga.

This year marks the 11th edition of the CBS Sports Classic. There have been some memorable wins by the Wildcats in this December doubleheader, but Kentucky is just 5-5 overall. Even more remarkable, Kentucky has never beaten Ohio State in this event.

The last Kentucky victory over Ohio State was unforgettable. Facing Jared Sullinger and the No. 1 overall seed in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, Josh Harrellson starred for the Cats. Brandon Knight hit a pull-up jumper with seconds on the clock to pull off a 62-60 upset on the Wildcats’ way to the Final Four.

Kentucky vs. Ohio State: How to Watch, Listen

Kentucky vs. Ohio State is the second half of the CBS Sports Classic, which tips off with UCLA vs. North Carolina at 3:00 p.m. ET. Tipoff of the Cats vs. the Buckeyes is set for approximately 5:30 p.m.

• Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
• Television: CBS (Brad Nessler, Bill Raftery, Jenny Dell)
• Streaming: Paramount+
• Home Radio: UK Sports Network – 630 WLAP, iHeart Radio (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
• Online Radio: iHeart
• Satellite Radio: Sirius 158 or 191
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast

You can also follow the game via our new LIVE BLOG on the website, which will begin an hour before tipoff, or join the conversation on KSBoard.

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