The 14th-seeded Oakland Golden Grizzlies (23-11) and 3rd-seeded Kentucky Wildcats (23-9) meet in the South Region for an NCAA Tournament first-round game Thursday. Tip-off from PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh is set for 7:10 p.m. ET (CBS). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s'lines around the Oakland vs. Kentucky odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
Oakland is on a 4 game winning streak after beating Milwaukee 83-76 to win the Horizon League Tournament Tuesday while covering as a 4-point favorite. F Trey Townsend'and F'Chris Conway'each had a double-double. Townsend had a game-high 38 points with 11 rebounds, and Conway added 11 points and 10 boards. The Golden Grizzlies shot 43.5% from the field in the win.
Kentucky fell 97-87 in the quarterfinal of the SEC Tournament Friday while failing to cover as a 5.5-point favorite. G Rob Dillingham'scored a team-high 27 points while only 3 Kentucky players scored in double figures. The Wildcats shot 50% from the field in the loss.
Kentucky is No. 12 in the.