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LSU vs. Kentucky Odds, Picks, Predictions College Basketball: How Will Tigers Perform on Road?

Shane Jackson

Last Updated: January 3, 2023 7:21 AM EST • 2 min 41 sec read.

Oscar Tshiebwe of the Kentucky Wildcats dunks against the Louisville Cardinals.
Oscar Tshiebwe of the Kentucky Wildcats dunks against the Louisville Cardinals. Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images via AFP.

The LSU Tigers travel to face the Kentucky Wildcats in an SEC battle on Tuesday, Jan. 3. Read on for our LSU-Kentucky pick and prediction based on the top odds.

LSU is 12-1 and on a seven-game win streak, but this will be its toughest test yet. The Tigers, who are 1-0 in SEC play, will travel to Rupp Arena for their first true road game of the season when they face Kentucky.

The Wildcats (9-4) have been a bit underwhelming to start the season, which includes a 14-point loss to Missouri in the conference opener. Kentucky crushed Louisville, 83-63, last time out and enters tonight’s matchup as a big favorite.

Here is our best LSU vs. Kentucky college basketball pick (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Check out our college basketball best bets.

LSU vs. Kentucky Game Info

Date: Tuesday, Jan. 3, 8 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky

LSU vs. Kentucky Odds

LSU vs. Kentucky Odds Analysis

Kentucky opened as an 11-point favorite, but the line has dropped down to 10 or 10.5 at most of our top-rated sportsbooks. Bettors wishing to back the favorite would be wise to take advantage of the 9.5-point spread (-115) at BetMGM. 

According to the sportsbook consensus at pregame.com, the Tigers are getting 71% of the spread bets.

The total opened at 139 before dropping down to as low as 135.5 at some of our top-rated sportsbooks. It should be noted that the Under was hit at the time of this writing (likely due to a release by a group), forcing every shop to move down a couple of points at once.

LSU vs. Kentucky Pick

LSU +10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kenpom projects a 74-63 win for Kentucky, so it is no surprise to see the line settling around 10 for this SEC clash. Given the movement on the Under this morning, the value has been lost on the total. But we are respecting that money on the total by projecting the underdog to stay within striking distance in a lower-scoring game. 

Neither of these teams ranks higher than 174th in adjusted tempo, a pace that could prove to be favorable for a double-digit underdog.

This might be LSU’s biggest test, but Matt McHahon’s squad is 3-0 against the spread as an underdog. Kentucky hasn’t covered as a double-digit favorite since Nov. 23, which was also the last time it covered any number at all.

Oscar Tshiebwe, who is the reigning National Player of the Year, will be a handful for LSU’s frontcourt. He should have his way against a defense that is giving up a 64.4% clip on close 2-pointers, according to Bart Torvik. The Tigers do rank 13th in 3-point defense, which should prevent them from getting run out of the gym.

LSU will need a strong performance from forward KJ Williams, who is averaging 18.5 points and eight rebounds per contest. In a game in which Williams and Co. can make a statement, we believe the Tigers will be ready for the challenge.

LSU vs. Kentucky Best Odds

DraftKings (-110)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsPointsBet
+10+10.5+9.5+10+10.5
-110-118-105-110-115

It is a rare sight these days, but only two of our top-five rated sportsbooks are in agreement on the spread. DraftKings and Caesars Sportsbook are both offering a 10-point line with standard -110 odds at the time of writing.

That’s where we will go to place our LSU bet, as it is the best price. FanDuel Sportsbook and PointsBet both offer the hook, though the juice isn’t worth it to avoid a potential push.

BetMGM has the best vig for the LSU spread, but a 10-point line is more valuable than the 9.5 in this case.

LSU-Kentucky pick made 1/3/2023 at 10:50 a.m. ET.

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Related pages

Best Online Sportsbooks  |  Betting Sites  |  Best Sportsbook Promos (U.S. only)  |  Kentucky Sports Betting  |  Kentucky Sportsbook Promos  |  Kentucky Sports Betting Apps

Written By:
Shane Jackson
After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Kansas in 2017, Shane Jackson covered college sports for a few years before moving to Las Vegas to pursue a career in sports betting. He created sports betting content for WynnBET and served as a sports gambling content director for Bet Chicago Sports. Shane’s favorite sports to watch and bet on are NFL, college football, college basketball, NBA, WNBA, and golf. Follow Shane on Twitter (@SJacksonBET) to get access to all of his betting analysis.