Kentucky was riding high on a 4-game winning streak, they were coming off a 10-day rest, and they needed a big game against a team that embarrassed them the last two times they played. They came out flat, laid an egg, and found themselves right back in a must-win situation.
When you have Mo Dioubate calling out the team's desire to do what it takes to win, then you have to wonder what exactly is going on in the locker room. Now, a Missouri team that just knocked off defending national champion Florida comes to Lexington seeking another SEC win.
Missouri vs Kentucky final odds
Kentucky is actually a favorite in this one, something that will probably surprise a lot of people. They have just 3 wins versus Power 5 opponents all year. FanDuel set the odds as Kentucky being a -13.5 point favorite, with a moneyline bet of -1200. That means Kentucky is a massive favorite at home to bounce back.
Expert predictions for Kentucky basketball's showdown with Missouri
If you're looking for what the experts are saying about the showdown, look no further.
EvanMiya- Kentucky 84, Missouri 71
Haslem metrics- Kentucky 80, Missouri 68
Bart Torvik- Kentucky 81, Missouri 73
ESPN is giving Kentucky a 79.8 percent chance to win.
Injury update for Missouri's Jevon Porter
Senior forward Jevon Porter remains out with leg injury, he averages 6 points and 4 rebounds in 17 minutes after transferring in from Pepperdine. Kentucky has no one on the injury report as of this writing, so the Cats will be healthy for the second straight game.
How to watch or listen to Kentucky vs. Missouri
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
Network: ESPN2
Announcers: Tom Hart, Dane Bradshaw
TV guide
Spectrum Cable: Channel 27
DISH Network: Channel 143
DirecTV: Channel 209
Satellite radio: Kentucky broadcast: XM Channel 84, Sirius Channel 84, Internet Channel 84
Missouri broadcast: XM Channel 381, Internet Channel 971
Streaming options:
You can stream the game on services that carry local channels, including Hulu + Live TV
, YouTube TV, FuboTV, Sling TV (Blue & Orange Plan). ESPN+ will also carry the game on its premier subscription.
Radio options:
- Online: Stream live at UKAthletics.com or on iHeartRadio via WLAP 630.
- Local FM/AM Stations:
- Lexington: 98.1 FM / 630 WLAP
- Louisville: 840 AM WHAS
- London: 103.9 FM WWEL
- Hazard/Pikeville: 101.1 WSGS
- Madisonville: 93.9 FM WKTG
Keys to the game for Kentucky basketball
Missouri is an efficient offense. Kentucky has to muck the game up. The Tigers average 83 points per game and shoot an effective field goal percentage of 58. That needs to be much lower for Kentucky who has struggled to put points up on the board at times. Speaking of the boards Missouri is not a good rebounding team, and Kentucky will need to take advantage of that early and often. If they can, they should win easily. If they let Missouri get hot, it could be a long night in Lexington.
Lastly, Missouri, despite it's good shooting numbers, are not great passers. That means Kentucky should be able to avoid being put in rotation like they were against Alabama.
Finally, for my prediction for the game, I think Kentucky actually drops this game. I really thought the Cats would come out with their hair on fire against Alabama. All the signs were there, instead they were terrible. I think their first half trend of slow starts allow Missouri to get comfortable with their shot selection, and they hold on in a close one.
Kentucky-75
Missouri-79