It will be a battle between Southeastern opponents when the No. 22 Kentucky Wildcats (22-8) welcome the LSU Tigers (18-12) to Rupp Arena. The game gets underway at 2:00 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 5 and can be seen on CBS.
The Wildcats were victorious over Florida 88-79 on Tuesday. Tyler Ulis was a key piece, recording 19 points and 11 assists to notch his seventh double-double this season. The Tigers, meanwhile, are coming off an 80-71 win over Missouri on Tuesday. Ben Simmons claimed his 21st double-double of the season with 22 points and 14 rebounds.
Jamal Murray has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Wildcats. During that stretch, he has averaged 25.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 blocks, and 3.8 three-pointers.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Tigers winning the first matchup 85-67. Tim Quarterman put up a double-double in the victory with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
The Wildcats have gone 22-8 Straight Up (SU) and 14-16 Against The Spread (ATS). The Wildcats have one of the most prolific offenses in the entire nation, averaging 78.5 points per game. The Wildcats have a distinct advantage on the boards in this matchup. They are the 47th-ranked rebounding team in Division I, averaging 39.2 per game, while the Tigers rank 108th in the nation with 37.4 per game. Kentucky has left their fans wanting more on the defensive side recently. The Wildcats have given up an average of 79.1 points to opponents in their last 10 games, well over their defense’s season average of 67.6 PPG. The Wildcats prevent teams from making three-pointers, ranking 13th in the nation with 164 total three-pointers allowed (5.0 per game).
Over on the other bench, the Tigers are unsuccessful ATS with a 10-19 record even though they have an 18-12 SU record. LSU is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the nation, hitting 17.0 shots from the line per game. The Tigers are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking 46th in Division I at 1.32. The last 10 games have really brought out the best of the Tigers on the defensive end. They’ve allowed 70.0 points per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 76.8.
Following the Tigers’ latest win over Kentucky, LSU moved closer to evening up its record against Kentucky. It now stands at 2-8 SU over their most recent meetings. The Tigers lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4. Neither team was able to hold the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers over the course of their latest five contests.
Predictions: SU Winner – Kty, ATS Winner – Kty
Notes
“Kentucky is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games “.
“Kentucky is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kentucky’s last 6 games at home”.
“Kentucky is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing LSU”.
“Kentucky is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing LSU”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Kentucky’s last 6 games when playing LSU”.
“Kentucky is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against LSU”.
“Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against LSU”.
“The total has gone OVER in 7 of Kentucky’s last 9 games when playing at home against LSU”.
Kentucky and LSU hold winning records against the Southeastern Conference this season. The Kentucky Wildcats sit at 12-5 SU and the LSU Tigers have an 11-6 record.
LSU is one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 80.1 points per game (ranked 25th). Kentucky allows 67.6 points per game (ranked 66th).
LSU averages 73.5 points per away game (ranked 78th). Kentucky allows 62.4 points per home game (ranked 31st).
The LSU Tigers rank 82nd for their offensive rating of 110.1. The Kentucky Wildcats have a defensive rating of 98.7 (ranked 53rd).
The Kentucky Wildcats average a field goal percentage of 47.4% this season. The LSU Tigers have split their games this season (6-6) when opponents have a FG% of 47.4% or greater.
The Kentucky Wildcats and the LSU Tigers both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Kentucky is 59th and 36th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while LSU ranks 94th and 41st in these categories.
LSU ranks 35th in assists, recording 16.0 per game. Kentucky performs worse at 128th with 14.1 assists per game.
Kentucky, the ninth-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 5.8 per game. LSU ranks lower at 246th with 2.8.
Kentucky ranks 37th in offensive rebounding. When it comes to defensive rebounds, LSU ranks 94th.
On average, LSU forces a turnover rate of 19.2%. When Kentucky turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a stellar 7-2 record.
