Tag: Kentucky Wildcats

Michigan basketball announces three-game series with Kentucky

The two big time programs will meet starting in 2020.

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Pack your bags, Michigan fans — you’re headed to London to face a basketball blue blood.

Per a release by the Michigan basketball program, the Wolverines have announced a three-game series with Kentucky, starting in 2020-21, with the first game taking place in the UK capital city. Then, a home-and-home between the two.

Read the whOle press release:

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Michigan and the University of Kentucky have signed a three-year men’s basketball deal that will take both teams to London, England, in the 2020-21 season as well as a home-and-home series for the following two campaigns.

The first year of the three-year commitment will feature a neutral-site game at O2 Arena in London in December of 2020. The London game will be hosted by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and serve as a fundraiser for the Hall.

This will be the first NCAA Division I college basketball game to be played at O2 Arena, one of the world’s most popular venues. All further details on play date, game time, television partner, ticket pricing, ancillary events and ticket on-sale will be announced in January of 2020.

Following the game in London, Michigan and Kentucky will then play a home-and-home series starting in Ann Arbor at Crisler Center in 2021 followed by a return trip to Lexington and Rupp Arena in 2022.

“When the idea of playing Kentucky came up, we knew it would be an exciting opportunity, not only for ourselves, but for our fans as well,” said U-M coach Juwan Howard. “What a unique three-game series. First, we get to showcase collegiate basketball overseas in London before playing that traditional home-and-home series in front of two of the nation’s best basketball environments. We cannot wait.”

Michigan has traveled out of the United States in the regular season five times previously but will be playing its first game in Europe. All five previous trips have been to the Caribbean, with the most recent trip happening a week ago in Paradise Island, Bahamas, where the Maize and Bluecaptured the 2019 Battle 4 Atlantis championship. U-M also appeared in the Battle 4 Atlantis in 2015-16, the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic in 1997-98, the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands in 2002-03, and the Puerto Rico Tip-Off in 2013-14.

U-M and Kentucky have met on seven occasions with UK holding the 5-2 all-time series advantage. The Wolverines and Wildcats will meet up for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign when Kentucky came away with a victory over U-M in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional final.

Prior to the 2014 meeting, the two squads had not met since the 1992-93 season, when Howard and the Wolverines defeated Kentucky in the Final Four in New Orleans.

Michigan and Kentucky will meet each other in on-campus contests for the first time since 1970, as UK will make just its second-ever trip to Ann Arbor in 2021 and U-M will travel to Lexington for the fourth time in the history of the two programs.

Michigan is 0-1 in Ann Arbor and 1-2 in Lexington against the Wildcats.

Louisville at Kentucky odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Louisville Cardinals at Kentucky Wildcats sports betting odds and lines, with college football betting picks and tips.

The Louisville Cardinals (7-4, 5-3 ACC) hook up with the Kentucky Wildcats (6-5, 3-5 SEC) in Week 14 of the college football season. Kickoff is set for Saturday at 12 p.m. ET at Kroger Field in Lexington, KY. We analyze the Louisville-Kentucky odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Louisville at Kentucky: Three things you need to know

  1. Kentucky leads the all-time head-to-head series 16-15. The Wildcats won last year’s meeting 56-10 in Louisville on Nov. 24. The Wildcats are looking to cap off their fourth straight winning season and keep the Governor’s Cup in Lexington.
  2. Wildcats WR-turned-QB Lynn Bowden Jr. has completed 46.7% of his pass attempts for 326 yards and two touchdowns against two interceptions through six starts. He has 951 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns on the season along with 348 yards and a touchdown as a receiver. Kentucky is 4-2 with him under center.
  3. Cardinals QB Micale Cunningham has completed 62.1% of his passes for 1,708 yards with 19 touchdowns against just four interceptions. He has added 374 yards and six touchdowns as a rusher.

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Louisville at Kentucky: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Louisville 28, Kentucky 27

Moneyline (ML)

Louisville enters the week with back-to-back wins, 56-34 over Syracuse and 34-20 over NC State. Kentucky has also won two straight, 50-7 over TN-Martin and 38-14 against Vanderbilt. The Wildcats are 5-2 in Lexington while the Cardinals are 3-2 on the road.

Kentucky (-161) is the favorite at home to retain the Governor’s Cup and clinch the winning season, but LOUISVILLE (+135) is getting too much value to be ignored. The Cardinals have the edge in the quarterback battle and will come away with the road victory.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Cardinals to win outright returns a profit of $13.50.

Against the Spread (ATS)

Kentucky is 8-3 against the spread and covers the line by an average of 4.2 points per game. Louisville is 7-4 ATS overall and covers by an average of 3.4 points per game, but slips to 2-2 ATS on the road while falling an average of 0.9 points shy of the cover.

While liking Louisville for the outright win, the safe play is backing CARDINALS (+3.5, -115) to keep this one within a field goal in the event of a loss. The same $10 bet on Louisville returns a profit of $8.70 should it lose by three or fewer points or win outright.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the OVER 52.5 (-115) in a final-week shootout. Louisville is 6-5 against the Over/Under and tops the projections by an average of 10.1 PPG. The last five head-to-head meetings each topped this number with ease.

Get some action on this game or others, place a bet with BetMGM today. And for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Josh Allen currently second in fan votes for AFC at DE position

While Josh Allen may not be getting the respect he deserves in the Defensive Rookie of the Year conversation, he’s been a hit on the Pro Bowl ballot. In fact, the Jacksonville Jaguars revealed that the rookie is currently second in terms of total …

While Josh Allen may not be getting the respect he deserves in the Defensive Rookie of the Year conversation, he’s been a hit on the Pro Bowl ballot. In fact, the Jacksonville Jaguars revealed that the rookie is currently second in terms of total fan votes for the AFC at the defensive end position.

Allen’s success on the Pro Bowl ballot comes after the rookie has put together a solid rookie campaign, accumulating 27 tackles, nine tackles for loss and eight sacks. Despite just having four starts to his name, his eight sacks are good for the most on the Jags’ roster, which is saying a lot as he plays alongside Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue. That figure is also good for the most of any rookie, even Nick Bosa who is the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year and has twice as many starts.

Allen was a player the Jags weren’t expecting to be available for the No. 7 overall pick in April’s draft, so when he fell to them it was an easy decision. With the team planning to get him even more involved, it’s possible he’ll continue to garner the support of Pro Bowl voters as his increased snaps could lead to more production.

Utah Valley-Kentucky odds: UK heavily favored over UVU

Previewing Monday’s Utah Valley Wolverines at Kentucky Wildcats sports betting odds and lines, with college basketball analysis and picks.

The Utah Valley Wolverines (3-1) head east to face the Kentucky Wildcats (2-1) at Rupp Arena Monday at 7 p.m. ET. We analyze the Utah Valley-Kentucky odds and betting lines, while providing college basketball betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Utah Valley at Kentucky: Three things you need to know

1. Not many expected Utah Valley would have a win more recently than Kentucky, but the Wildcats were tripped up by Evansville last time out by a 67-64 score as 24.5-point favorites.

2. Kentucky’s offense has been sluggish, averaging just 74.7 points per game (PPG), and they’re 334th on 3-pointers at just 24.5 percent from behind the arc.

3. G Ashton Hagans (leg) is a question mark for Monday’s game against the Wolverines.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Utah Valley at Kentucky: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:15 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Kentucky 79, Utah Valley 54

Moneyline (ML)

There is no moneyline for this game at the time of publishing due to the large spread, but even if one were to be released by tip-off, the risk is not worth the meager reward.

Against the Spread (ATS)

KENTUCKY (-24.5, -115) had cashed in nine straight games against the spread before its loss to the Purple Aces last time out. The Wildcats are also 5-2 ATS in the past seven at Rupp Arena.

Utah Valley (+24.5, -105) is just 1-5 ATS in the past six games overall, and 2-5 ATS in the past seven non-conference tilts. The Wolverines have three wins, but they haven’t faced a team remotely close to the caliber of Big Blue.

Over/Under (O/U)

The UNDER 136.5 (-121) is the play. Kentucky is still working out the kinks on offense, and should do just that against the Wolverines. However, UVU won’t contribute much to the total in this game where it’ll be quite overwhelmed. Look for freshman G Tyrese Maxey to show out in this one.

Get some action on this game or others, place a bet with BetMGM today. And for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Meet Jamar Watson, Kentucky’s next pass-rushing prospect

Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Kentucky edge defender Jamar “Boogie” Watson

Last year, the NFL draft featured a talented edge rusher by the name of Josh Allen. In 2020, another pass-rushing Wildcat could make waves at the next level.

A versatile prospect who can get after opposing quarterbacks and shut down ball-carriers in the backfield, Watson recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about the skill set he brings to the table, how playing at Kentucky has prepared him for the next level, and what fans can expect from him the rest of this season.

JM: How would you describe your skill set?

JBW: I’m a very athletic edge rusher. I can play off the edge as a rusher and I can drop in coverage a little bit as well. I’m a savvy player and I have a high football I.Q. as well.

JM: What’s your favorite part about playing linebacker?

JBW: I love having the ability to effect the game on a snap-by-snap basis. I play in the middle of the defense and we get to be involved on every single play. I have a role to play on every single defensive snap. I love that. That gives me a chance to be a high impact player.

JM: I heard that you’re a tap dancer. How did you get into that?

JBW: My high school basketball coach recommended that I get into tap dancing. I needed an extra credit and it was a pretty easy class, if I’m being honest (laughs). I gave it a shot and I’ve actually kept it going since high school. I really ended up liking it.

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

JM: Your dream job outside of being an NFL player is to become a police offer. Why is that?

JBW: It started off with me watching lots of law enforcement shows. Those were my favorite types of shows growing up. CSI, Law & Order, shows like that. As I got older, my interest in law enforcement became more serious and I started doing some research. If I wasn’t playing football, that would be my dream career. That’s what I’m studying right now in school. That’s my top desire aside from football. My goal is to play in the NFL, first and foremost, but a career as an officer of the law after football definitely intrigues me.

JM: What’s your favorite cop show of all time?

JBW: That’s a great question. If I had to go all time, I would probably say “Person of Interest.” It’s on Netflix now, and it has about five seasons. It’s about this I.T. nerd guy who has the ability to predict future crimes and he has this badass friend who’s the muscle of the group. He sends him out on these missions to stop these crimes before they happen. That’s probably my favorite show of all time.

JM: Who do you think is the best NCAA player you’ve ever gone up against?

JBW: I would probably go with Sony Michel or Deebo Samuel. Those guys stood out for obvious reasons. I can’t forget about Lamar Jackson. He’s as dynamic as they come. Those are definitely my top three.

JM: Is there an NFL running back or tight end you’re looking forward to tackling or covering?

JBW: I would probably say Ezekiel Elliott. He’s received so much publicity over the last couple of years. He’s a superstar running back and I’d love to test out my abilities against a guy like that.

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

JM: Coach Brad White did a great job with Josh Allen last year. He also has six years NFL experience with the Indianapolis Colts. How has he helped elevate your game?

JBW: He’s definitely taken my game to another level. He has an incredible feel for the game. He understands the role of a linebacker well beyond pass rushing. He’s helped me in every faucet of my game. His attention to detail is tremendous. It’s the small things that he’s taught me that helped me become a better player. He’s really made a difference in my life. Josh Allen will tell you himself, we as a linebacker group give a ton of credit to coach White. He puts a huge emphasis on having us reach for the ball. Try to strip it out and create turnovers. It’s the small technique stuff that he’s really helped me out a lot.

JM: How has Kentucky helped prepare you for what’s next?

JBW: The weight staff is one of the best in the country. We have some veteran guys around this program. The coaching staff has a ton of experience. The training staff is top notch as well. They keep us right throughout the summer and throughout the season as well. Our coaches have had success at multiple levels. Having these guys at my disposal has been huge for me.

JM: What can Kentucky fans expect from you for the rest of this season?

JBW: They can expect me to be continue being a productive member of this defense. My team needs me to be productive. I’m working hard to improve every single day. I’m definitely focused and locked in right now.

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Indiana fans loved to see Kentucky’s embarrassing loss to Evansville

No. 1 Kentucky was stunned on its home floor by Evansville on Tuesday.

For the first time in program history, Evansville toppled a AP-ranked team on the road. That team happened to be the No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats, a favorite to win the national championship at the end of the season.

Last season, the Purple Aces won just 11 games, and were picked to finish eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference this year. Evansville didn’t catch fire from the floor – the Purple Aces shot 38 percent from the field – or win on a fluke buzzer-beater, they outworked the top-ranked team in the nation and played excellent defense at Rupp Arena to pull off a historic upset. For Kentucky, it was the first time the Wildcats had ever lost at home as a No. 1 team to a non-conference opponent, according to ESPN Stats and Info.

College basketball fans roasted Kentucky online, and Indiana fans at Assembly Hall chanted “Evansville” during the Hoosiers’ blowout win on Tuesday.

 

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