Kentucky vs. Ole Miss: How to watch, odds, picks, final score predictions from ESPN, KenPom
As we tip off the second half of the SEC regular season tonight, we should be in for a quality matchup when Kentucky comes to Oxford to play Ole Miss in The Pavilion. This is set to be a good one as one squad looks to bounce back and regain some momentum while the other attempts to end a three-game skid.
How to watch Kentucky vs. Ole Miss
Tip-Off: 9 p.m. EST
Location: The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss (Oxford, Mississippi)
Channel: ESPN
Vegas odds
Kentucky is a 7.5-point favorite over Ole Miss on Tuesday according to VegasInsider. The over-under is set at 135.5 points.
ESPN BPI prediction
Predicted winner: Kentucky
Predicted point differential: 4.7
Win probability (for Kentucky): 68.1%
Matchup quality: 80.3
ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) is a tool that measures team strength and uses that to predict outcomes of future performances. ESPN’s BPI has Kentucky vs. Ole Miss ranked as the eighth highest-rated game on Thursday’s slate in terms of matchup quality.
KenPom prediction
Predicted final score: Kentucky 69, Ole Miss 66
Win probability (for Kentucky): 61%
KenPom is another tool that provides advanced analysis across college basketball. Like ESPN, KenPom projects that the Wildcats come away with a victory over the Rebels.
More on Kentucky vs. Ole Miss
Kentucky’s best stretch of the season came to an end over the weekend with their 77-68 loss to Kansas. Still, there’s a lot to now still be hopeful for when it comes to John Calipari’s team. Before their loss against the Jayhawks, they’d found more of an offensive groove not just centered solely around Oscar Tshiebwe while also playing with a new level of fight defensively as they allowed an average of just 61.8 points per game in their four-game winning streak. Now, to keep pace to make the NCAA Tournament, they’ll need a rebound starting tonight in Oxford.
As for Ole Miss, things haven’t gone as planned in Kermit Davis’ fifth season. The Rebels currently sit at just 9-12 overall and 1-7 in league play. That includes this last 10 game stretch where they’ve managed just one win over the bottom team in the SEC in South Carolina. After losing by 22 at Oklahoma State over the weekend, the Rebels will want to generate some form of success to build on in order to head into February. A step in the right direction would be getting leading scorer Matthew Murrell back in the lineup and, from there, finding a way to knock off the ‘Cats.