The odds for the Kentucky vs. Louisville basketball game have been released, and they’re raising some eyebrows.
After Kentucky’s unpredictable win over Colgate, head coach Mark Pope described the game as “weird”—and he wasn’t wrong. The Wildcats jumped to a quick 17-0 lead, but things quickly spiraled. Colgate made a series of contested shots while Kentucky struggled to score. The Wildcats’ complacency allowed Colgate to cut the lead to just 2 points by halftime. In the second half, Colgate even took the lead several times before Kentucky regained control with strong three-point shooting and defense. It was a strange performance, especially considering Kentucky was expected to win by 30 points.
This odd game creates a tricky situation for oddsmakers ahead of the Kentucky vs. Louisville rivalry. There’s a lot to consider: Kentucky’s wins over Duke and Gonzaga, the absence of key players like Lamont Butler and Kerr Kriisa, and injuries on Louisville’s side. Despite all this, FanDuel has set the line at Kentucky -10.5, with the over/under at 157.5. This suggests a projected final score of 84-73 in favor of the Wildcats.
These odds are peculiar. On one hand, Kentucky should be favored, possibly by double digits, but the absence of Butler could significantly impact their performance. If Kentucky plays like they did against Colgate without a true point guard, Louisville might have the upper hand. Similar to Pope’s own difficulty in describing the Colgate game, it’s hard to fully explain how these odds came to be. It’s just… weird.
