Arkansas Razorbacks vs Kentucky Wildcats Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Arkansas vs Kentucky NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Lexington.

Arkansas vs Kentucky Prediction

Don't miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Razorbacks and Wildcats. The game is starting at 9:00 ET on ESPN, and it's hosted by the Wildcats at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under for this Southeastern conference contest is set at 158.5 points, with Kentucky being favored by -11 at home against Arkansas.

Arkansas vs. Kentucky Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Arkansas Razorbacks at Kentucky Wildcats
Where: Lexington at Rupp Arena
Date: Saturday, February 1st
Betting Odds UK -11, ARK +417 | UK -592 O/U 158.5

Razorbacks Preview: Do the Razorbacks Stand a Chance in Lexington?

Arkansas Razorbacks Recent Game/Games

Arkansas fell to 12-8 on the season after a 65-62 home loss to Oklahoma on Saturday. The Razorbacks were -4 favorites but failed to cover the spread, and the game’s total points of 127 fell well below the O/U line of 147.5.

After trailing 35-31 at halftime, Arkansas allowed 30 points in the 2nd half while scoring 31 themselves, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback.

Razorbacks Offense Breakdown

Arkansas struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 37% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range, finishing with 62 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 44.4%, and they managed only 7 offensive rebounds.

Johnell Davis led the team with 18 points, despite shooting 31.2% overall and 27.3% from deep. Jeremiah Fears contributed 16 points on 50% shooting, while D.J. Wagner and Jalon Moore each added 13 points, with Wagner also dishing out 5 assists.

Razorbacks Team Defense

Arkansas held their opponent to 65 points, with a strong defensive effort that limited them to 37% shooting from the field. The Razorbacks allowed 20 made field goals on 54 attempts.

Defensively, Arkansas gave up 9 threes on 27 attempts (33%) and sent their opponent to the line 16 times, where they hit 13 free throws (81%). The Razorbacks also allowed 7 offensive rebounds.

Wildcats Preview: Will the Kentucky Defense Show Up at Home?

Kentucky Wildcats Recent Game/Games

Kentucky improved to 15-5 on the season with a 78-73 road win over Tennessee on Tuesday. The Wildcats were +10.5 point underdogs but managed to cover the spread with the victory.

After trailing 33-30 at halftime, Kentucky came out strong in the second half, scoring 48 points while allowing 40. The total points for the game reached 151, going over the pre-game line of 146.5.

Wildcats Offense Breakdown

Kentucky's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 78 points with a 50% shooting mark from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was even more impressive at 62%, thanks in large part to their 50% shooting from beyond the arc, hitting 12 of 24 attempts.

Igor Miličić Jr. led the way with 19 points and 9 rebounds, connecting on 4 of 8 threes. Koby Brea was perfect from the field, going 5 for 5 overall and 3 for 3 from deep, finishing with 18 points. Zakai Zeigler dished out 6 assists, though he struggled with his shot, hitting just 1 of 11 from three-point range.

Wildcats Team Defense

Despite Kentucky's strong defensive effort, they gave up 73 points in their last game. The Wildcats held their opponents to just 34% shooting from the field, as they went 25/72 overall.

Kentucky's defense allowed 11 three-pointers on 45 attempts, with their opponents shooting 24% from beyond the arc. They also sent the opposing team to the free-throw line 17 times, where they converted 12 of their attempts.

Razorbacks vs Wildcats Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Although Arkansas has a straight up record of 3-7 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 2-8. The team averaged 73 points per game in these games.
In their last three home games, Kentucky has averaged 80 points per game while allowing 79. The team's record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the underdog, the Razorbacks have a straight up record of 2-8. Their record vs the spread in these games was 4-6.
Spanning across their last three games as the betting favorite, the Wildcats have gone 1-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-2.