Miami (FL) vs Kentucky Prediction & Picks: High-Scoring Ranked Squads Square Off at Rupp Arena

One of the highlights of this week’s college basketball schedule is the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge. Of the seven matchups that will take place tonight, the standout showdown sees #8 Miami visit #12 Kentucky (7:30 pm ET, ESPN).

After following up the program’s first-ever Elite Eight appearance by reaching the program’s first-ever Final Four last season, the Hurricanes are out to make more noise on a national level this season. They have started with five straight wins, including wins over Georgia and Kansas State to win the Bahamas Championship before Thanksgiving.

Bet on Miami vs Kentucky and More at BetDSI

Kentucky is breaking in a lot of fresh faces this season, but John Calipari’s bunch of young Wildcats is showing some serious potential already.

UK very nearly took down then-#1 Kansas in the Champions Classic two weeks ago, and since that close loss, they have shot the lights out in wins over Stonehill, St. Joseph’s, and Marshall.

Can they keep up the prolific point-scoring performances against one of the best teams in the country? They should, but the ‘Canes have the firepower to match them and then some.

Miami vs Kentucky Odds

Odds are courtesy of Bovada.

Spread

• Miami +7 (-120)
• Kentucky -7 (+100)

Over/Under

• Over 164 (-115)
• Under 164 (-105)

Moneyline

• Miami +240
• Kentucky -290

Miami vs Kentucky Prediction and Picks

Prediction: Miami to win

Picks: Miami/Kentucky over 163.5 (-110 at Bovada), Wooga Poplar over 14.5 points (-122 at Bovada) & Rob Dillingham over 13.5 points (-114 at Bovada)

So, it’s safe to say that the spread for this matchup is rather interesting. Yes, Kentucky is at home. And yes, they showed against Kansas that they have the goods to get the job done in games like these.

But not only is seven points a lot for a matchup between two highly ranked teams, but it is also a lot when you consider the experience levels of the two teams.

No, experience is not necessarily a decisive factor. But in early-season matchups like this, it absolutely can be, and it may have had a hand in why Kentucky wasn’t able to close out Kansas after leading by six with under four minutes remaining.

All five starters for Miami are in at least their third year of college basketball, while only two of Kentucky’s starters or key contributors, fifth-year seniors Antonio Reeves and Tre Mitchell, have that level of experience.

So, if you are considering the spread, my recommendation is either Miami +7 or avoid.

I am, however, all over total plays and player props for this matchup.

Entering today, Kentucky (94.0 PPG) is third in the nation in scoring, while Miami is 12th (89.0). Also, the Hurricanes (45.8%) are the nation’s top three-point shooting team, while the Wildcats (42.5%) rank fourth in that department.

In addition to both nailing threes at a high percentage, they are both nailing a lot of outside shots. Kentucky is averaging 12.3 made threes, which is second in the country, while Miami is 15th at 10.8 made threes per game.

It’s also worth noting that both teams are among the nation’s leaders in average offensive possession length, with Kentucky coming in 15th (14.9 seconds per possession) and Miami coming in 22nd (15.2 seconds per possession).

So, we should see plenty of shots and plenty of points tonight at Rupp Arena.

Those points will come from a variety of sources, but two players I expect to be very productive are Poplar and Dillingham. Poplar has scored 15+ points in all but one game this season, while Dillingham has scored 14+ points in four of six games, including 18 against Kansas.

Where to Bet on College Basketball

If you are looking for college basketball odds, you will always be spoiled for choice.

Sports betting sites all over the internet offer a vast array of NCAA basketball odds throughout the season, from the opening tip in November to the conclusion of the season in early April.

Along with being able to bet on countless games, many online sportsbooks offer men’s college basketball national championship odds, women’s college basketball national championship odds, men’s Wooden Award odds, women’s Wooden Award odds, and odds on who will win early season and conference tournaments.

Below are some of the books that we highly recommend for college basketball betting:

• BetDSI
• BetOnline
• BetUS
• Bookmaker
• Bovada
• MyBookie
• Sportsbetting.ag

If you don’t have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.

Other College Basketball Content

• College Basketball Betting Guide
• Men’s Wooden Award Winner Odds
• Women’s Wooden Award Winner Odds