The top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats hit the road tonight to take on the LSU Tigers in SEC College Basketball action. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN. Currently the Betting Odds for the game have the Wildcats favored by double digits on the road.
Kentucky has been getting the best from every opponent this season. Tonight might be the biggest obstacle in the way of the Wildcats running the table in the regular season as the LSU Tigers sport a big front line with a lot of athleticism. The one thing that obviously sets Kentucky apart from the rest of the country is their insane defense, which will be tested tonight against the Tigers.
LSU has an 11-2 record in home games this season and they both weren't to good teams. The Tigers dropped close contests to both Texas A&M and Auburn on their own floor. The Aggies have been solid all season but the loss to Auburn certainly is a head-scratcher. LSU also dropped the conference opener on the road back in early January to Missouri — the Tigers' only win in the SEC this season. It seems that LSU has some troubles focusing on a game-to-game basis as they most recently lost to Mississippi State as well. Even on the road that's not a good loss.
So here we have the Tigers looking to circle the wagons with the big, bad Wildcats coming to town. LSU has two of the best interior players in Jordan Mickey and Jarell Martin, giving the Tigers a combination of forwards that can match up with Kentucky's size, which is something almost no team can do. Mickey and Martin are both double-double guys on a nightly basis, averaging 33 points and 20 rebounds between them. Mickey is one of the best shot-blockers in college basketball as well, but Kentucky plans to come at them in waves.
The matchups with Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns in the paint with the LSU duo should be fun to watch. This game tonight seems to be a war of attrition, a physical battle that will test both squads.
Kentucky has had some close calls this season, but playing on the road in a hostile environment tonight makes it worse. LSU has the bodies to hang with the Wildcats, but their lack of focus in games means they can be undisciplined. Even the best effort from LSU tonight probably isn't good enough. Kentucky wins a close one.
Free Pick: Kentucky 70, LSU 65
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