ESPN’s matchup predictor has projected Saturday’s big SEC contest between No. 4 Alabama and No. 17 Kentucky in Tuscaloosa.
Both teams will be looking for a win to give themselves momentum heading into the final weeks of the regular season. After a 1-4 slump, the Wildcats have won 3 of their last 4, including an 82-61 win over Vanderbilt on Wednesday behind a 20-point, 7-rebound performance from Otega Oweh. The Tide, meanwhile, have dropped back-to-back games against Auburn (94-85) and Mizzou (110-98).
Alabama won the meeting between the 2 teams back in January as Grant Nelson and Mark Sears combined for 49 points in a 102-97 win in Lexington. And this time around, ESPN’s predictive model is heavily on the side of the hosts, giving Alabama a 70.3% chance of victory.
Looking at potential NCAA Tournament seeding, Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology has Alabama as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest region. Kentucky, meanwhile, is being projected as a 3 seed in the South region.
Alabama is currently tied with Florida for 2nd in the SEC, but the Gators are ahead on a tiebreaker. Both are 2 games back of Auburn. Meanwhile, Kentucky is currently the No. 9 seed.