The Kentucky Wildcats seemingly found some answers to their early season woes, but that sentiment was quickly erased when they were upset on their home court by the Vanderbilt Commodores on Wednesday night. Now, the Wildcats are once again seeking answers and the latest Kentucky NCAA Tournament odds carry even more importance with The Big Dance looming.
Kentucky NCAA Tournament Odds: Could Wildcats Miss Tourney?
Per DraftKings Sportsbook, the Kentucky Wildcats’ odds to win the NCAA Tournament dropped to +4000 after the loss to Vanderbilt, but they are still among the top 30 in terms of odds, meaning the sportsbooks believe they will be a shoo-in for the NCAA Tournament.
Still, the Wildcats faithful are understandably uneasy and fed up with the current product on the court, and they have reason to be worried this team just does not have the consistency to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. But is it too soon to push the panic button? After all, Kentucky lost guard Cason Wallace in the Vanderbilt loss to a leg injury, and the Commodores were able to mount their comeback with the guard on the bench.
“He’s fine, it’s not swelled,” Calipari said postgame. “I’m hoping he’ll be okay for Saturday. I do not know. And if not, we need to figure out how we do it against pressure.”
If college basketball fans are willing to chalk up Kentucky’s loss to Vanderbilt as a minor blip brought on by some injuries, then it is easy to see how there is optimism within the Wildcats program entering March. The team was coming off four straight wins entering Wednesday night’s letdown, including a dominant 86-54 win over the Auburn Tigers on Saturday. Auburn coach Bruce Pearl was quick to point out how far Kentucky has come since the beginning of the season in his postgame press conference.
“Yeah, well I mean they’re obviously really comfortable in their roles. Cason Wallace is a difference maker, you know, running point and, you know, his ability to defend and playmake and, you know, finish shots. You know, the Reeves kid is a great you know, obviously a great, great shooter,” he said, per Kentucky Sports.
Even with the loss, Team Rankings still project Kentucky at around a No. 6 seed in the tournament, with over an 85% chance of getting an at-large bid. But they’ll certainly want to finish off the regular season strong with a win at Arkansas on Saturday afternoon. A loss means Vanderbilt could overtake the Wildcats’ position in the SEC and potentially have a first-round bye in the Conference Tournament.
The Kentucky Wildcats NCAA Tournament odds show they are still considered a moderate threat to make a run, and the loss against Vanderbilt did little to change their overall outlook.
