The new-look 23rd-ranked Kentucky Wildcats tip off their season against the Wright State Raiders in a college basketball matchup featuring a pair of new coaches. Mark Pope, who led BYU to last year’s NCAA Tournament with a 23-11 record, takes over for John Calipari at Kentucky, while Clint Sargent is the new coach at Wright State. Calipari left for SEC rival Arkansas. The Raiders, who finished tied for third in the Horizon League last season at 13-7, were 18-14 overall. The Wildcats, who tied for second in the Southeastern Conference at 13-5, finished 23-10 overall in 2023-24.
Tip-off from Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center in Lexington, Ky., is set for 7 p.m. ET. Kentucky leads the all-time series 4-0, including a 3-0 edge in games played at Lexington. The Wildcats are 19.5-point favorites in the latest Kentucky vs. Wright State odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 160.5. Before making any Wright State vs. Kentucky picks, check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024-25 season on a 153-110 betting roll (+1891) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Wright State vs. Kentucky. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines and trends for Kentucky vs. Wright State:
- Kentucky vs. Wright State spread: Kentucky -19.5
- Kentucky vs. Wright State over/under: 160.5 points
- Kentucky vs. Wright State money line: Kentucky -2632, Wright State +1217
- WS: The Raiders have hit the game total over in 22 of their last 28 games (+16.50 units)
- KEN: The Wildcats have hit the game total over in 23 of their last 31 games (+14.15 units)
- Kentucky vs. Wright State picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Kentucky vs. Wright State streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why you should back Kentucky
Guard Jaxson Robinson, a graduate student, spent the last two seasons playing for Pope at BYU. He was the first bench player in BYU program history to lead the team in scoring at 14.2 points per game. He made at least one 3-pointer in each of the final 21 games of the 2023-24 season. He was named a preseason third-team All-SEC honoree.
Forward Andrew Carr, also a graduate student, played two seasons at Wake Forest and two at Delaware, scoring more than 1,200 career points, grabbing 600-plus rebounds and adding 100-plus blocks. He started all 68 games during his time with the Demon Deacons, averaging 12.1 points over two seasons. Last year, he averaged a career-high 13.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 blocks. See which team to pick here.
Why you should back Wright State
Forward Brandon Noel, the Horizon League Freshman of the Year, is among the Raiders’ top returners. In 31 games last season, Noel averaged 14.5 points, eight rebounds and 1.6 assists in 34.4 minutes of action. He connected on 53.5% of his field goals, including 40% from 3-point range, and 79.8% of his free throws. He was named the Horizon League’s preseason Player of the Year entering this season.
Another top returner is guard Alex Huibregtse. The senior averaged 12.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 33.1 minutes. He was also red hot from the floor in 2023-24, connecting on 52.5% of his field goals, including 41.7% from 3-point range, and 82.9% from the free-throw line. Huibregtse enters the season having earning second-team preseason honors in the conference. See which team to pick here.
