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Alabama vs Kentucky: Can the Crimson Tide stay on top of the SEC?
The Alabama Crimson Tide are visiting the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena in Lexington on Saturday.
Alabama is on top of the conference
The Alabama Crimson Tide are on top of the SEC with a 19-7 record, including 11-2 in conference play. The Crimson Tide have won the last three games and are coming off a 98-93 overtime win over Florida. Grant Nelson led the team with 22 points and 8 rebounds in that game. Guard Marc Sears is the best player for Alabama this season, averaging 20.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Alabama is second in the nation with 11.7 three-pointers made per game and sixth with 79.1% shooting from the free-throw line.
The Wildcats are coming off a tough loss
The Kentucky Wildcats are sixth in the SEC with an 18-8 record and 8-5 in conference play. They have lost four of the last seven games and are coming off a 75-74 loss to LSU. Antonio Reeves scored 25 points, and he leads the Wildcats, averaging 19.7 points per game. Kentucky is second in the league in shooting 40.5% from three-point territory and third in scoring 87.6 points per game.
Betting Trends
Kentucky is 15-11-0 ATS for the season, 8-8-0 ATS at home, and 5-2-0 ATS after a loss. Alabama is 16-10-0 ATS for the season, 4-3-0 ATS on the road, and 11-7-0 ATS after a win.
Prediction and Conclusion
It is pretty unusual to see Alabama neck-to-neck with Kentucky in basketball, but that is the case this season. The Crimson Tide are on top of the SEC, and they can send everybody a message with a win tonight. Kentucky is coming off an unexpected loss to LSU and will be under pressure when it hosts Alabama. Both teams are excellent on the offensive floor, so a lot of points can be expected, but as the NCAA Tournament is approaching and this game will make a difference with the standings in the SEC, we will see a tough defense tonight as well. It will definitely be a tight game with the Wildcats getting back on winning track and covering the -1.5-point spread.
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