No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats at Indiana Hoosiers
Saturday, 12/10/11, 5:15 PM EST, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Kentucky -5
Current Betting Line: Kentucky -5
Opening Total: 145.5
Current Total: 147.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Kentucky looks to carry the momentum of an eight-game winning streak including a big 73-72 win over fifth-ranked North Carolina last Saturday as 6.5-point home favorites. “We felt like this was a good test to see where we’re at against one of the best teams in the country,” Wildcats senior Darius Miller stated. The Wildcats defense has been superb this year in holding seven of their eight opponents below 38 percent shooting from the field this season. Most of that success is due to the team leading the SEC in averaging 10.9 blocks per game. Kentucky is 5-0 ATS in its last five games versus Big Ten Conference opponents.
The Wildcats have faced the Hoosiers five times previous as the No. 1 team in the country, posting a 4-1 record in those games. Kentucky is also 32-11 on the road as the top-ranked squad nationally. These two programs are meeting for the 42nd straight year and Kentucky has taken 14 of the last 17, including wins in the last three contests by at least 17 points. John Calipari is 3-1 all-time when matching up with Indiana coach Tom Crean, including a perfect 2-0 mark during his time at Kentucky.
Indiana has started a season 8-0 for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign and it’s definitely not surprising due to the program returning 93.3 percent of their scoring from a year ago. The Hoosiers registered a Big Ten-worst 28-66 record over the previous three seasons under Crean’s direction, but it seems that the program is just getting past the Kelvin Sampson’ years. Offensively, the team ranks sixth in the nation in field goal shooting, while sitting ninth in averaging 85 points per game. Indiana is 0-5 ATS versus SEC opponents.
The Hoosiers are being led by freshman forward Cody Zeller, who was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times already this season. He is averaging 15.5 points and 7.6 rebounds, as he sits sixth nationally in scoring for a first-year player. Indiana has five players averaging double-digit points, but the roster will be getting its first true test Saturday. In the program’s last 26 games versus ranked opponents, it’s posted a 2-24 mark and been outscored by 16.9 points a contest in the defeats.
Bettors will likely back the Wildcats due to the favorite being 11-1 ATS in this series, while the Hoosiers are 2-9 ATS in the last 11 meetings.
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