by Chuck Sommers
Friday, Jan 21, 2022
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Venue: Auburn Arena, Auburn, AL
Where to watch: CBS
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Check back later
BetMGM: Check back later
Caesars: Check back later
Season record
No. 12 Kentucky: 15-3 (5-1 SEC)
No. 2 Auburn: 17-1 (6-0 SEC)
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Kentucky - Auburn preview, analysis and prediction
We’re going to find out on Saturday if the Auburn Tigers really are the cream of the crop of the SEC.
The No. 2 Tigers will put their 14-game winning streak on the line against the 12th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats in Auburn on Saturday in what might be the defining moment of the conference this season.
And I’ve got to be honest, as I’ve looked at this game over the past week, I can’t help but think that Auburn really is that good. I believed in them from four years ago when they made the Final Four, and there’s something abut Bruce Pearl’s team that has made things more interesting than they should be.
There’s no denying that Auburn is about to face its toughest test this season in the form of a Kentucky squad that is nearly identical to itself. Both offenses are around the same ballpark -- Kentucky averages 82.9 points per game, while Auburn is at 80.7 -- and the defense is nearly the same with both teams averaging less than 70 points per game.
But one thing I wanted to know about this game was how both teams would handle their respective previous opponents; Auburn against Georgia, while Kentucky visited Texas A&M. And respectively, both teams handled their tests with flying colors.
Auburn took care of business against the lowly Bulldogs, winning 83-60 on Wednesday night behind six players in double figures. Walker Kessler led the way with 15 points on 7 of 11 shooting, and the Tigers shot 46 percent while bullying the offensive board battle to a 16-8 advantage.
"We didn't talk about Kentucky at all coming into this game," Auburn point guard Wendell Green Jr. said. "We always want to respect our opponent no matter what their record is, and that's what we did tonight."
Auburn took a 52-27 lead at halftime and never looked back. The Tigers did take their foot off the gas in the second half, to which Pearl even suggested they were outplayed in the final 20 minutes, but sometimes you don’t really worry about that kind of stuff if you win by at least 20. Auburn covered at -21.5, which you had a feeling it would.
As far as Kentucky goes, the Wildcats handled a tough test in Texas A&M on Wednesday night. The Aggies are one of the hotter teams in the SEC and were receiving votes in the top 25 A&M even took a 35-30 lead at halftime.
Despite shooting 36 percent from the floor, the Wildcats found a way to win.
"I love those games, absolutely love them," Calipari said. "That means you know you had to fight, and you had to guard, and you had to rebound or you had no chance of winning."
Kentucky’s defense came to the forefront in this one. Texas A&M took 22 3-point attempts and made a grand total of one of them. It was really the only way for Kentucky to stay with it and somehow win that game. Sahvir Wheeler led the way with 12 points.
If the Wildcats can do that again, it’ll be another impressive road victory for Kentucky, perhaps its biggest of the whole season. But I really like Auburn, and my hope is you do, too. It’s going to be a fun big man battle between Kessler and Oscar Tshiebwe, which may cause mass euphoria. I really like Auburn and think this game is going to be one of the best of the season. Auburn by 4
Betting trends
Kentucky is 0-6 ATS following consecutive games of attempting 10 or more free throws than the opponent.
Kentucky is 6-17 ATS following three straight wins over the past three seasons.
Auburn is 8-1 ATS as a home favorite this season.
Projected starting lineup
Kentucky:
PG: Sahvir Wheeler
SG: TyTy Washington Jr.
SF: Kellan Grady
PF: Keion Brooks Jr.
C: Oscar Tshiebwe
SF: Kellan Grady
PF: Keion Brooks Jr.
C: Oscar Tshiebwe
Auburn:
PG: K.D. Johnson
SG: Zep Jasper
SF: Allen Flanigan
PF: Jabari Smith II
C: Walker Kessler
SF: Allen Flanigan
PF: Jabari Smith II
C: Walker Kessler
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
