POINT SPREAD: Opening Line for Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt

Kentucky has been disappointing against teams at the bottom of the SEC standings. There are seven teams with a losing record in league play, and the Wildcats are 1-4 against those opponents. That includes a loss to Vanderbilt in Nashville.

Saturday’s loss to Texas in Austin does not drastically alter the Cats’ NCAA Tournament resume. A loss to Vanderbilt, currently categorized as a Quad 2 game, could knock ’em down a seed-line. The Cats gotta get-right, regardless of injury circumstances, and Vegas believes it will happen.

Kentucky opens as a 5.5-point favorite over Vanderbilt. The total has been set at 161.5.

The computers expect this game to be a wide margin. Kenpom is calling for an 89-80 Kentucky win, while Bart Torvik gives the Cats a 91-82 advantage.

The problem with computer power ratings is that they do not factor in the human element. In this case, that means injuries. Kentucky will almost surely be without Jaxson Robinson, Lamont Butler, and Kerr Kriisa when the SEC availability report is released Tuesday night.

It’s the second straight road game for the Commodores. Vanderbilt had Tennessee on the ropes at the Food City Center. They led by as many as 16 points before the worst defense in the SEC let Tennessee shoot 65% in the second half of an 81-76 victory for the Vols.

Vanderbilt is 15-10 Against the Spread (ATS) this season. They are 3-4 ATS in their last seven games. The Commodores covered the number in Knoxville. It was the first time they’re covered the spread on the road in the SEC since their first game in league play at LSU.

Kentucky has covered the spread in three straight games, thanks to Otega Oweh‘s three-pointer at the buzzer in Austin. The Cats lost their last two games outright as single-digit favorites at Rupp Arena.

Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt: How to Watch, Listen

• Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
• Television: SEC Network (Roy Philpott and Daymeon Fishback)
• Home Radio: UK Sports Network – 630 WLAP, iHeart Radio (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
• Online Radio: iHeart
• Satellite Radio: Sirius 84
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast

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

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