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Jeremy Perry
Auburn vs. Kentucky Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
The Auburn Tigers are in their second Elite Eight ever and their first since 1986. What should be a very happy moment for this team has been turned into a bittersweet experience after finding out that Chume Okeke suffered a torn ACL in the win over North Carolina. Next up for them is a matchup with a familiar foe: Kentucky, who they’ve already faced twice this season. The Wildcats just overcame an injury concern of their own as star P.J. Washington returned in the Sweet 16 and led the team past Houston. Can he do it again versus the high-flying Tigers?
Auburn vs. Kentucky NCAA Tournament Elite Eight Point Spread Betting
The Tigers are hot as they’ve won 11 in a row. They’ve now covered five of their last six against SEC teams and four of their last five against teams with a winning record above .600.
As for the Wildcats, they are now 6-1-2 in their last nine NCAA Tournament games. They are 4-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last five against winning teams and 35-16-4 ATS in their last 55 on a neutral court. It’s worth noting that under is 12-3 in the last 15 meetings between the teams.
Auburn Tigers
The Tigers were great in their 97-80 wipeout of top-seeded North Carolina on Friday. They again thrived from three-point range, hitting 17-of-37 threes. That means that they’re now averaging a whopping 14 threes per game in the NCAA Tournament.
The big problem for Auburn in this game is that big man Chuma Okeke, who was playing so well for the Tigers, tore his ACL and will have surgery on Tuesday. He is the team’s leading rebounder, top interioer defender and third-leading scorer. He will miss this game, and his presence on the boards is so necessary against Kentucky’s frontcourt size and power. Kentucky absolutely crushed this team on the boards in the two regular season meetings, outrebounding Auburn 33-26 and 43-26. Auburn has to be on-point from three to win as they’ll have to overcome their big loss inside.
Kentucky Wildcats
The Wildcats won 62-56 in the second round and won 62-58 against Houston on Friday night. They know how to play defense and they know how to rebound. Auburn relies on their outside shots but Kentucky focuses on slowing the game down, pounding it inside and playing defense. It’s worked twice against Auburn but can it work again?
Auburn’s defense has not played well in the tournament as their opponents are shooting just over 45 percent from the field. The Tigers can’t afford to have an off night even a little bit when they’re own defense is so porous.
With Chuma Okeke out, Washington and Reid Travis figure to feast on the boards. As long as Auburn doesn’t shoot really well, Kentucky is in great shape here. The Wildcats already know what they have to do to win.
