History shows Kentucky's a great bet in the SEC Tournament
Kentucky went 26-5 overall during the regular season but just 16-15 (51.4 percent) against the spread. Meanwhile, the Wildcats are coming into the postseason cold, having failed to cover the spread in each of their previous four games. But if bettors are looking for a spot to jump back on the Kentucky bandwagon, it's the Wildcats' first SEC Tournament game Friday against Alabama.
Line: Kentucky -13
Spread: 136
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Of the active Power 5 head coaches in college basketball, nobody covers the spread better than John Calipari when it comes to the conference tournament. He and the Wildcats are on a blazing 13-1-1 run against the spread in their previous 15 SEC Tournament contests, dating back to the 2013-14 season.
| Year | Opponent | Spread | Result | ATS W/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Tennessee | UK +2 | UK 77-72 | W |
| 2018 | Alabama | UK -4 | UK 86-63 | W |
| 2018 | Georgia | UK -4.5 | UK 64-49 | W |
| 2017 | Arkansas | UK -7.5 | UK 82-65 | W |
| 2017 | Alabama | UK -10.5 | UK 79-74 | L |
| 2017 | Georgia | UK -10.5 | UK 71-60 | W |
| 2016 | Texas A&M | UK -4.5 | UK 82-77 | W |
| 2016 | Georgia | UK -10.5 | UK 93-80 | W |
| 2016 | Alabama | UK -13.5 | UK 85-59 | W |
| 2015 | Arkansas | UK -13.5 | UK 78-63 | W |
| 2015 | Auburn | UK -24 | UK 91-67 | P |
| 2015 | Florida | UK -13 | UK 64-49 | W |
| 2014 | Florida | UK +6.5 | UF 61-60 | W |
| 2014 | Georgia | UK -8 | UK 70-58 | W |
| 2014 | LSU | UK -4.5 | UK 85-67 | W |
Rest has been a huge factor for teams throughout the conference tournaments; more rested teams were great against the spread in last year's tournaments and are off to another hot start this year. Alabama is 24 hours removed from its first-round win over Ole Miss, while Kentucky's had six days between games. That should bode well for the Wildcats, who are 5-2 against the spread this season when playing with more than four days of rest.
To top it off, Calipari and Co. are 18-8-2 in the previous 28 neutral-site games, setting the Wildcats up for a nice situational spot as they look to avenge their January loss to the Crimson Tide.
Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.