The No. 10 Kentucky Wildcats play their home opener on Friday when they take on the Robert Morris Colonials of the Horizon League in the 2021 Kentucky Classic at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kent. The Wildcats (0-1), who lost their season opener to Duke on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, are looking to re-establish their dominance at home. Last season they went an uncharacteristic 5-6 at Rupp Arena, with five of those setbacks to unranked teams. One of those home defeats was a 12-point loss to Richmond. Robert Morris (0-1) opened its season on Wednesday with a 69-59 loss at Central Florida.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Wildcats are favored by 23.5 points in the latest Kentucky vs. Robert Morris odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 144. Before making any Robert Morris vs. Kentucky picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Div. I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of $2,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Kentucky vs. Robert Morris and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball lines and trends for Robert Morris vs. Kentucky:
- Kentucky vs. Robert Morris spread: Wildcats -23.5
- Kentucky vs. Robert Morris over-under: 144 points
- Kentucky vs. Robert Morris money line: Wildcats -2400, Colonials +1100
- UK: Oscar Tshiebwe leads team in scoring (17.0) and rebounding (19.0)
- RMU: Colonials rank eighth in the country in free throw percentage (93.8)
Why Kentucky can cover
Oscar Tshiebwe is a dominant big man. A 6-foot-9 junior who transferred from West Virginia, Tshiebwe leads the country in rebounds per game (19.0) and offensive rebounds per game (12.0). On Tuesday he helped Kentucky outrebound Duke, 44-36. In 41 games at West Virginia, he averaged 8.9 rebounds per game.
In addition, the Wildcats showed an ability to guard the 3-pointer against the Blue Devils. Kentucky limited Duke to just 1-of-13 shooting from behind the arc. On Friday the Wildcats face a Robert Morris team that struggled on 3-pointers against Central Florida, hitting just 4-of-23.
Why Robert Morris can cover
While the Wildcats may be talented and experienced, they lack cohesion at this point in the season. Only one of Kentucky's starters on Tuesday, Keion Brooks Jr., started for the Wildcats last season. Of the four others, three were transfers, and one was a freshman. Kentucky's best ball this season likely will come later in the year after the players have had time to assimilate.
In addition, Robert Morris has had success against the Wildcats before. In the first round of the NIT in 2013, the Colonials shocked Kentucky, 59-57, to earn the biggest win in program history. That Wildcats team had won the national championship the previous season.
How to make Kentucky vs. Robert Morris picks
The model is leaning under on the point total, projecting 142 combined points. It also has generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in more than 50 percent of simulations. You can get the model's Kentucky vs. Robert Morris pick only at SportsLine.
So who wins Robert Morris vs. Kentucky? And which side of the spread can you bank on in more than 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Robert Morris vs. Kentucky spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $2,200 on its college basketball picks the last four years, and find out.
