Oakland vs Kentucky Prediction, Picks, Odds | NCAA Tournament First Round Bets

Oakland vs Kentucky Prediction, Picks, Odds | NCAA Tournament First Round Bets

The First Round of NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament kicks off on Thursday, March 21 -- and the 10th matchup on the slate set to tip off is Oakland vs Kentucky, which is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET on CBS.

The Wildcats are big 13-5-point favorites on the spread in Thursday's contest; with the game total stationed near over/under 163 at most sportsbooks.

Here's everything you need to know about Oakland vs Kentucky -- our expert prediction and betting picks for this First Round NCAA Tournament matchup.

Oakland vs Kentucky Odds

OAK @ UK Odds

Oakland vs Kentucky Prediction

Kentucky put up tremendous offensive numbers this season as the Wildcats were the top 3-point shooting team in the nation and ranked 5th in offensive efficiency.

The Wildcats have not escaped the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2019 as Kentucky battles Horizon League champion Oakland.

The Golden Grizzlies have never won an NCAA Tournament game while participating in the Big Dance for the first time since 2011.

Kentucky had a quick exit in the SEC Tournament by losing to Texas A&M, but the Wildcats put together quality performances in wins at Tennessee and Auburn over the final month.

UK went 23-9 this season but also threw away second half leads in losses to LSU, Gonzaga, Florida, Texas A&M, and Kansas.

The Wildcats were battle-tested many times in the tough SEC and should be able to eliminate Oakland, whose best win came against a 16-17 Xavier squad.

Pick: Kentucky -13.5 (-110)

Oakland vs Kentucky Game Time & TV Channel

Date: Thursday, March 21
Matchup: Horizon vs SEC
Venue: PPG Paints Arena
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Time-TV: CBS, 7:10 p.m. ET

Oakland vs Kentucky Betting Stats

3) Kentucky Wildcats
(SEC, At-Large)

  • Futures: +3000
  • Region: +600
  • SU: 23-9
  • ATS: 18-14
  • O/U: 23-9
  • PPG: 89.5
  • OPPG: 79.1

14) Oakland Golden Grizzlies
(Horizon, Automatic)

  • Futures: +35000
  • Region: +12500
  • SU: 23-11
  • ATS: 21-13
  • O/U: 20-13-1
  • PPG: 76.3
  • OPPG: 73.1

March Madness Betting Resources

March Madness First Round Odds

The NCAA Men's Tournament First Round will take place on Thursday March 21, 2024 and Friday March 22, 2024.

Check out the Teams, Odds, Betting Stats and much more on each of the four regions below: