Kentucky vs Santa Clara College Basketball Prediction, Odds, Picks, Best Bets for NCAA Tournament First Round

The No. 10 Santa Clara Broncos (26-8) will be trying to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament when they face off against the No. 7 Kentucky Wildcats (21-13) on Friday. This 7-10 matchup in the Midwest Region bracket tips off at 12:15 p.m. ET.

Before you place your bet on this matchup at FanDuel Sportsbook, here are the NCAA basketball odds and spreads you need to know.

Kentucky vs. Santa Clara Game Info and Odds

• Game day: Friday, March 20, 2026
• Game time: 12:15 p.m. ET
• TV channel: CBS
• Location: St. Louis, Missouri
• Arena: Enterprise Center

Kentucky vs. Santa Clara Picks and Prediction

All college basketball win probability predictions and picks are according to numberFire.
Prediction: Santa Clara win (53.6%)

Before placing a wager on Friday's Kentucky-Santa Clara spread (Kentucky -2.5) or over/under (158.5 points), see the betting insights and trends below.

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Kentucky vs. Santa Clara: ATS Betting Stats and Trends

• Kentucky has put together a 17-17-0 record against the spread this season.
• Santa Clara has covered 19 times in 33 matchups with a spread this season.
• Santa Clara covers the spread when it is a 2.5-point underdog or more 50% of the time. That's more often than Kentucky covers as a favorite of 2.5 or more (45%).
• The Wildcats sport an identical winning percentage against the spread in home games (.500) as they do on the road.
• Against the spread, the Broncos have been better at home (10-4-0) than on the road (6-5-0).

Kentucky vs. Santa Clara: Moneyline Betting Stats

• Kentucky has won in 12, or 75%, of the 16 contests it has been named as the moneyline favorite in this year.
• The Wildcats have a mark of 9-4 in contests where sportsbooks favor them by -152 or better on the moneyline.
• Santa Clara is 2-5 in games it was listed as the moneyline underdog (winning 28.6% of those games).
• The Broncos have a 2-4 record (winning just 33.3% of their games) when playing as a moneyline underdog of +126 or longer.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies Kentucky has a 60.3% chance of walking away with the win.

Kentucky vs. Santa Clara Head-to-Head Comparison

• Kentucky averages 80.8 points per game (70th in college basketball) while allowing 73.8 per contest (178th in college basketball). It has a +236 scoring differential overall and outscores opponents by seven points per game.
• Otega Oweh's team-leading 18.2 points per game ranks 83rd in the country.
• Santa Clara outscores opponents by 10.5 points per game (posting 82.9 points per game, 37th in college basketball, and giving up 72.4 per contest, 132nd in college basketball) and has a +354 scoring differential.
• Santa Clara's leading scorer, Christian Hammond, is 237th in the nation, putting up 15.8 points per game.
• The 33.9 rebounds per game the Wildcats average rank 79th in the nation, and are three more than the 30.9 their opponents grab per outing.
• Malachi Moreno tops the team with 6.4 rebounds per game (232nd in college basketball action).
• The Broncos are 137th in college basketball at 32.6 rebounds per game. That's 2.4 more than the 30.2 their opponents average.
• Allen Graves' 6.5 rebounds per game lead the Broncos and rank 219th in college basketball.
• Kentucky ranks 74th in college basketball with 102.2 points scored per 100 possessions, and 129th in college basketball defensively with 93.5 points conceded per 100 possessions.
• The Broncos' 104.1 points per 100 possessions on offense rank 40th in college basketball, and the 91 points they allow per 100 possessions rank 71st in college basketball.

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