It’s an electric college basketball Saturday, with some major games taking place. One of the day’s biggest games features the Kentucky Wildcats traveling to Austin to take on the Texas Longhorns. Kentucky is one of the hottest teams in basketball, fresh off of a victory over the fifth-ranked team in the country, Tennessee.
The Longhorns started hot this season but have been on a downward trajectory, struggling in SEC play.
Kentucky vs. Texas Betting Preview
All Kentucky vs. Texas odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.
- Spread
Texas -1.5 - CSN Spread
Kentucky -5.5 - Money Line
Texas -122, Kentucky +102 - Over/Under
160 points - Game Time
Saturday, Feb. 15, 8:00 p.m. ET - Location
Moody Center | Austin, TX - How To Watch
ESPN
According to ESPN’s bracketology, a win for both teams is significant, as the Longhorns are currently listed as a bubble team. Kentucky could use another SEC win to rise further in tournament seeding. Read on to find out who wins this instant SEC classic.
The Texas Longhorns come into this game with a 15-10 record and are 4-8 in SEC play. As of right now, the Longhorns are a bubble team, and a win tonight would go a long way in ensuring that they make the tournament.
Texas is a pretty average team against the spread, covering 13 of their 25 games this season. Texas is 8-6-1 against the spread at home, and as a home favorite, the Longhorns are 6-5-1 ATS. In SEC games, Texas also has a 6-5-1 record ATS.
The Kentucky Wildcats enter this game with a 17-7 record and are 6-5 in conference play. Against the spread, Kentucky is also very average, with a 12-12 record in its 24 games. As an underdog, Kentucky is a very good ATS, covering in five of its six games. As a road underdog, it has covered in two of its three games.
Both these teams tend to go over in their games. Texas’s 25 games this season have gone over 13 times under 10 times and pushed twice. Kentucky’s 24 games have gone over 13 times and under 11 times.
Kentucky vs. Texas CSN Power Rankings Line
Our CSN power rankings metric has Kentucky as a 5.5-point favorite in this game, making Kentucky one of the best plays of the weekend.
However, I would be wary of this line as our metrics are high on Kentucky after their win over Tennessee on Tuesday, and they are ranked as the seventh-best team.
Our metrics are low on Texas, as they have lost three in a row, dropping them 14 spots from last week, coming in as the 33rd-ranked team. While Kentucky is playing better than Texas right now, I think Vegas’s line is far more accurate than our metrics.
Kentucky vs. Texas Prediction
This game should be as close as the spread suggests and will be a competitive battle throughout. While Kentucky is the better team, Texas being favored seems like a trap line.
While Kentucky can score heavily, ranking as the third-best team in the country in terms of points per game, I think Texas’s home crowd and defense will make this a tough environment for Kentucky. Texas’s defense is pretty solid, only allowing 68.9 points per game.
KEEP READING: How To Watch the Auburn Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Game
Expect this game to be lower-scoring than most people think and for Texas to pull off the win. I’m not positive that Texas will cover the 1.5 points, which goes to show how close this game should be, so to be safe, I’d stick with ML.
Picks: Under 160, Texas ML (-122)
Prediction: Texas 76, Kentucky 73
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!
