Wake up, BBN, it's finally basketball day! Tonight, Mark Pope season 2 officially begins as the Kentucky Wildcats tip off their regular season at Rupp Arena against Nicholls State. After a preseason that showed both a high ceiling (the Purdue win) and a low floor (the Georgetown loss), fans will finally see the real product.
As of this publication, we are still awaiting final word on the availability of guards Jaland Lowe (shoulder) and Denzel Aberdeen (leg), which could significantly impact the rotations. If they can't go, it will fall to Collin Chandler and Jasper Johnson again, a duo who did not look very good against Georgetown.
Kentucky vs Nicholls State Spread Total and Moneyline Odds
The oddsmakers at FanDuel have released the opening lines, and as expected, Kentucky is a massive favorite.
- Spread: Kentucky -29.5 (-115) / Nicholls +29.5 (-105)
- Total: 150.5 (Over -115 / Under -105)
- Moneyline: Off the board
At the time of this writing, moneyline bets are unavailable, so you can't pick a straight-up upset. That 29.5-point spread is massive for a season opener, especially given the injury concerns and the offensive stagnation we saw against Georgetown.
Kentucky hasn't lost a season opener since that shocking upset by VMI back in 2008. I don't expect a repeat of that disaster tonight. The team that showed up against Georgetown was listless and unprepared; I don't think you'll see that team again for a while, especially not in a regular-season debut at Rupp. Expect Otega Oweh to come out and announce his intention to win SEC Player of the Year with a dominant performance, leading the Cats to an easy victory.
Final Score Prediction: Kentucky 81, Nicholls State 60. I think the Cats win comfortably but fail to cover that huge 29.5-point spread as they work through early-season offensive kinks.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion