Kentucky vs LSU Prediction, Odds & Picks for January 3 (Kentucky Nabs First SEC Conference Win)

Kentucky vs LSU Game Info

• 2022-23 NCAA Basketball Regular Season Game
• No. 19 Kentucky (9-4, 0-1 SEC) vs. LSU (12-1, 1-0 SEC)
• Date: Tuesday, January 3, 2023
• Time: 8:00 PM ET
• Venue: Rupp Arena -- Lexington, Kentucky

Tuesday's exciting slate of college basketball includes an SEC clash between the No. 19 Kentucky Wildcats and the LSU Tigers.

Kentucky, who may have four losses on the year, has lost two of these games against ranked opponents and faces the Tigers, who have yet to play any fierce competition prior to their win over No. 9 Arkansas last week.

Can Kentucky stay in the ranked column and nab their first SEC win?

Kentucky vs LSU Odds & Spread

• All college basketball betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: UK: (-610) | LSU: (+440)
• Spread: UK: -10.5 (-110) | LSU: +10.5 (-110)
• Total: 137.5 -- Over: (-115) | Under: (-105)

The Wildcats enter this matchup as heavy favorites, evideced by their huge -610 odds on the moneyline. Kentucky is also considered a 10.5-point favorite and the over/under sits at 137.5 points.

Kentucky vs LSU Betting Trends

• Kentucky has beaten the spread five times in 13 games.
• The Wildcats' ATS record as 10.5-point favorites or more is 5-3.
• Kentucky has played 13 games this season, and seven of them have hit the over.
• LSU has covered the spread six times in 13 games.
• This season, four of LSU's 13 games have gone over the point total.

Kentucky Rank	Kentucky AVG		LSU AVG	LSU Rank
46th	79.0	Points Scored	72.0	182nd
114th	66.2	Points Allowed	63.4	55th
12th	37.8	Rebounds	32.1	207th
4th	12.7	Off. Rebounds	8.5	217th
116th	8.1	3pt Made	7.4	195th
15th	17.8	Assists	13.8	158th
128th	11.9	Turnovers	12.4	183rd

Best College Basketball Picks - Kentucky vs LSU

Both of these teams have so much talent on both sides of the ball, but I'm particularly looking at a matchup inside between LSU's KJ Williams and Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe. These big men lead their respective teams in both scoring and rebounding.

Williams has been on a tear offensively, notching 18.5 points per game alongside a 55.2% field goal percentage and nearly 80% on the line. Tshiebwe averages a double-double with his 16.5 points and 13.6 rebounds per contest.

Big time players come up big under the brightest of lights, and I expect Williams to continue his hot hand. He'll present an issue for Kentucky's defense but the Wildcats' dominance on the boards proves a difference, late. Expect this game to stay close between two hot SEC teams.

Final Score Prediction: LSU 65 | Kentucky 71

Kentucky vs LSU Picks

The 10.5-point spread is far too lofty for a pair of teams that match up so well. I think Kentucky ultimately prevails because of their talent on offense and ability to rebound the basketball, but LSU keeps this close with an ability to turn the ball over (8.5 steals per game).

Bet: LSU +10.5 (-110)

Adam Taylor McKillop is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Adam Taylor also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username atmckillop. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.