While they haven’t managed their way through the schedule completely unscathed the No. 1 ranked Auburn Tigers are looking to close out a historically dominant regular season. Bruce Pearl’s team is 26-2 and 14-1 in a loaded SEC with its only two losses coming to current No. 2 Duke and currently No. 3 Florida.
To close out the year, Auburn has two tough road trips and an even tougher Iron Bowl of Basketball matchup at home. First up, the No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats coming off a gutty win against Oklahoma on Wednesday night. Mark Pope’s Wildcats are 19-9 and just 8-7 in conference play but have plenty of big-time wins over top-ranked teams.
Having beaten current No. 5 Tennessee twice, Florida, and Duke, the Wildcats might be the best big-game hunters in the sport, and if anybody is going to end Auburn’s stretch of dominance before the SEC Tournament rolls around, it might be Kentucky.
Here’s how you can watch this crucial conference showdown on Saturday afternoon from Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.
How to watch No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 17 Kentucky
- Date: Saturday, March 1
- Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Rupp Arena
- How to Watch (TV): ABC
- Streaming: fubo TV
- Auburn record: 26-2 (14-1)
- Kentucky record: 19-9 (8-7)
Auburn vs. Kentucky odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Moneyline
- Auburn -205
- Kentucky +168
Spread
- Auburn -5.5 (-104)
- Kentucky +5.5 (-118)
Total
- 168.5 (over -115/under -105)
Auburn injury report
- N/A
Kentucky injury report
- Kerr Kriisa, G: OUT (foot)
Kentucky and Auburn series history
- Kentucky all-time record vs. Auburn: 98-23
Auburn vs. Kentucky prediction
Auburn just does not have many weaknesses and with National Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome leading the way, the Tigers will be tough for Kentucky to slow down. Kentucky center Amari Williams will likely draw the assignment and the Drexel transfer has been fantastic on the defensive end this year, but he plays just over 20 minutes a game.
With Williams on the floor, Kentucky posted a 74th percentile defensive rating of 104.1 points per 100 possessions, but with Williams off the floor, that rating balloons to 112.8 (22nd percentile according to CBBanalytics.com). Sophomore backup big man Brandon Garrison typically spells Williams, but when Garrison is on the floor, the team’s defensive rating gets even worse, up to 115.1. Williams has a chance to slow down Broome and Auburn’s relentless offensive attack, which is the most efficient in the country, but the Wildcats are unlikely to survive the minutes with their star seven-footer on the bench.
Offensively, it’s not just about stopping Auburn, it’s also about keeping pace for Kentucky. Otega Oweh took over the game on Wednesday night against Oklahoma, his former team, closing it out with 21 of Kentucky’s final 23 points. Oweh has matured into the go-to option that Mark Pope was unable to nab in the transfer portal last offseason, averaging 16.1 points a game, but the Tigers have plenty of lengthy wings and physical guards who can limit his impact.
Kentucky has been able to knock off some of the best teams in the country, but the clearest path to take down Auburn is to get to the free throw line by attacking the paint, and to dominate the offensive boards. The Wildcats just aren’t built that way, so even on the road, I feel good about a comfortable win for the No. 1 team in the country.