2022 Kentucky Wildcats Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions

Daniel Dobish Sports Betting Expert

3 minute read

2022 KENTUCKY WILDCATS BETTING ODDS, PREDICTIONS, PREVIEW

The Kentucky Wildcats racked up 10 victories last season, including a 20-17 win over Iowa in the VRBO Citrus Bowl. It was the second 10-win season for Kentucky in the past four years after a 41-year hiatus without one since Fran Curci led the Cats to 10 wins in 1977. Yeah, Kentucky is not just a basketball school any longer.

Kentucky's season was so nice, it topped out at No. 11 in The Associated Press' Top 25 poll, its highest ranking since being ranked No. 8 under the tutelage of Rich Brooks back in Oct. 2007.

Updated on 11/13/2024

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The great news for the Wildcats is that QB Will Levis is back under center for head coach Mark Stoops. The not-as-pleasant news is that offensive coordinator Liam Coen jumped the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL, while WR Wan'Dale Robinson also left school after a record-breaking season. Rich Scangarello takes over as the OC, and the transition is expected to be seamless. And WR Tayvion Robinson, no relation to Wan'Dale, transfers in via the portal from Virginia Tech. He will be joined by exciting prospects Barion Brown and Dane Key, as well as TE Keaton Upshaw. The latter is back after missing last season due to what was believed to be a torn pectoral muscle which required corrective surgery. So Levis will have plenty of capable targets as the Cats try to keep it cooking.

The defense returns seven starters, including a handful of players who could have possibly been Day 2 or Day 3 NFL Draft picks, and in the offensive backfield, RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. is a stud who could take an even bigger step forward if he can handle the football a little better.

The Wildcats look primed and ready for a big season, and the non-conference schedule should help UK to three free wins. The home schedule is very favorable, too, which should give them a few more victories, and a showdown with Georgia on Nov. 19 honestly could determine the SEC East Division if things break a certain way. It's not too hard to fathom. Over 7.5 Wins (-180) is a strong play, although tying up that kind of money over the long term is generally not optimal. It should be a slam-dunk wager, however.

Best Bet: Kentucky Over 7.5 Wins (-180)

2022 KENTUCKY WILDCATS SCHEDULE

• Sat., Sept. 3 - vs. Miami-Ohio
• Sat., Sept. 10 - at Florida
• Sat., Sept. 17 - vs. Youngstown State
• Sat., Sept. 24 - vs. Northern Illinois
• Sat., Oct. 1 - at Ole Miss
• Sat., Oct. 8 - vs. South Carolina
• Sat., Oct. 15 - vs. Mississippi State
• Sat., Oct. 29 - at Tennessee
• Sat., Nov. 5 - at Missouri
• Sat., Nov. 12 - vs. Vanderbilt
• Sat., Nov. 19 - vs. Georgia
• Sat., Nov. 26 - vs. Louisville

WIN TOTAL ODDS

• Over 7.5 (-180)
• Under 7.5 (+150)

KENTUCKY WILDCATS ODDS TO WIN SEC CHAMPIONSHIP

+4000

Kentucky has a good shot at another New Year's Day bowl game, although they're still not believed to be on the same page as the Alabamas and the Georgias of the SEC. Still, the Wildcats could potentially give the Bulldogs a serious run for the SEC East Division title, especially since they get the defending champs at home. We'll find out a lot about Kentucky on Sept. 10 when it travels to Florida. A win against the Gators, and this Wildcats team will be off and running to a huge start. A loss there, and expectations will have to be tamped down somewhat.

This isn't a team which is far from winning the SEC Championship Game, but it's worth a small-unit play. I mean, playing $25 could win $1,000. It's possible, but not likely.

KENTUCKY WILDCATS ODDS TO WIN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

+12500

If it were basketball, sure, but Kentucky has lost three or more games in every football campaign since 1977. This is a fan base which doesn't, or at least shouldn't, think about national titles on the gridiron. They're an upper-echelon SEC team, sure, perhaps even the third-best team in the league. But they'll come up extremely short of a CFP spot in December.

KENTUCKY WILDCATS 2022 HEISMAN CONTENDERS & ODDS

Will Levis (QB) +6600

Chris Rodriguez (RB) +15000

Levis is an exciting playmaker who completed 66.5% of his passes for 2,593 yards, 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while also racking up 387 rushing yards and nine scores on the ground. Meanwhile, Rodriguez is gaining on Benny Snell to become the school's all-time rushing leader. He posted 1,271 yards and nine scores last season. However, while both are fine players, they're not even close to being Heisman candidates, especially C-Rod.

2021 KENTUCKY WILDCATS BETTING RESULTS

• SU: 10-3
• ATS: 8-4-1
• O/U: 8-5
• ATS-Home: 5-2-1
• ATS-Road: 3-2
• ATS-Favorite: 5-2-1
• ATS-Underdog: 3-2

MORE CONFERENCE ODDS

Daniel Dobish

Dan is a handicapper and sports betting expert for VegasInsider with years of experience writing for a number of top publications in the industry. More from Daniel Dobish