Two coaches at vastly different college basketball programs will clash in an SEC game on Saturday. Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope is at a legacy, Mt Rushmore program with a $22 million NIL Payroll. Kentucky is the ultimate basketball school, where a Final Four berth is the bare minimum. So far, Pope is off to an underwhelming start and is starting to feel the heat.
On the other hand, Chris Beard of the Ole Miss Rebels is already exceeding College Basketball odds expectations. Beard has the comfort of coaching at a football school where a mere appearance in the NCAA Tournament is enough to keep the fans and donors at bay. Last year, Beard took Ole Miss to the Sweet 16, which is college hoops nirvana in Oxford, MS. He also took another football school, Texas Tech, to the 2019 national championship game.
So while Ole Miss and Kentucky have similar records, Beard is seen as the much more successful coach, at least at this point. Mark Pope would be well-advised to beat Beard and his visiting Rebels on Saturday.
Ole Miss Rebels at Kentucky Wildcats NCAAB Betting Information
| Date and Time: | Saturday, January 24, 2026, Noon p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center, Lexington, KY |
| TV Coverage: | ESPN |
| Betting Online Odds at SBG: | Click Here |
Ole Miss at Kentucky Betting Odds Analysis
The Rebels will appeal to sharps as a well-coached team that will get a potentially enhanced price on the road against a traditional blueblood power. In comparison, squares will flock to Kentucky, the legacy program playing at home against a program that is not yet respected by the masses.
Ole Miss Rebels Team Overview
The Ole Miss Rebels are 11-8 straight up, 6-13 against the spread, and 11-8 over/under the sports betting total. Late on, Ole Miss has covered three out of their last four games. The Ole Miss Rebels have gone over the total in four of their previous six matchups.
Ole Miss has national metrics of 281st in scoring offense, 194th in field goal percentage, 183rd in 3-point field goal percentage, 98th in free throw percentage, and 260th in offensive rebounding. In turn, the Rebels rank 80th in scoring defense, 94th in field goal percentage permitted, 220th in 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 117th in defensive rebounding.
Kentucky Wildcats Team Overview
The Kentucky Wildcats are 13-6 straight up, 8-11 against the spread, and 9-10 over/under the total. Late on, Kentucky has covered two out of its last seven games. The Wildcats have gone over the college basketball odds total in three of their previous four matchups.
Overall, Kentucky ranks 108th in scoring offense, 55th in field goal percentage, 134th in 3-point field goal percentage, 164th in free throw percentage, and 129th in offensive rebounding. On defense, the Wildcats rank 67th in scoring defense, 69th in field goal percentage allowed, 68th in 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 56th in defensive rebounding.
Ole Miss at Kentucky Betting Trends
Ole Miss covered the spread in three out of their last four away games. Also, the Rebels went over the total in four of their last six road tilts. Kentucky failed to cover the spread in four of its last six home games. Correlate that Kentucky went over the total in three of its last five home tilts.
Ole Miss covered the spread in five of their last seven games against Kentucky, including two of their last three visits to Rupp Arena. Finally, the Rebels and Wildcats went over the total in four of their last five meetings.
Ole Miss at Kentucky SBG Free Picks
Accordingly, Kentucky is consistently overpriced. Ole Miss will receive more points than it deserves based on casual-sector branding perceptions. The Wildcats show their worst betting value at home. To conclude, Ole Miss has been a good value against Kentucky, especially on the road.
Ole Miss at Kentucky SBG Best Bet: Ole Miss Rebels.