No. 2 Kentucky is all but assured one of the top seeds in the Big Dance, but it would still like to win the SEC title for good measure.
The Wildcats (29-2 SU, 16-13 ATS) begin their quest for the conference crown when they tip off with Alabama (17-14 SU, 13-13-2 ATS) in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Friday afternoon.
Kentucky has been one of the best teams in the nation for the duration of the season, but it’s stepped it up for bettors lately. The Wildcats head into Friday’s game with a 6-2 ATS (7-1 SU) mark in their last eight contests.
One team Kentucky didn’t cover against earlier in the year was Alabama, which cashed as 15-point underdogs in the Wildcats’ 66-55 win at Rupp Arena on February 9.
Sportsbook have Kentucky as 9.5-point favorites against ‘Bama.
If the Wildcats get past the Crimson Tide, they’ll hook up with the Sportsbook of Friday’s matchup between No. 15 Tennessee (24-7 SU, 12-15-1 ATS) and Ole Miss (21-9 SU, 16-9-1 ATS) in Saturday’s semifinals.
The Volunteers dropped LSU (+11.5) 59-49 in Thursday’s first round, and run into a Rebels team that’s won their last four both SU and ATS. Sportsbook have Mississippi as a 1.5-point underdog against Tennessee.
Florida (21-11 SU, 15-12 ATS) is on to the quarterfinals after knocking off Auburn 78-69 as 5.5-point faves in the first round, but it’ll be in tough against Mississippi State (21-10 SU, 13-12-1 ATS) in the quarters.
The good news for Gators backers is the Bulldogs have lost two in a row both SU and ATS, and could be without Dee Bost (ankle) on Friday.
The SEC quarterfinals wrap up with a showdown between No. 20 Vanderbilt (23-7 SU, 15-13 ATS) and Georgia (14-16 SU, 17-12 ATS), and the ‘over’ on the total is the sharp wager.
The Commodores are 11-3 O/U (10-4 SU, 6-8 ATS) in their last 14 games, while the Bulldogs are the most dependable ‘over’ wager in the SEC at 17-9 O/U this season.
