Michigan vs. Kentucky 12/4/22 Betting Prediction, Odds, & Trends

Michigan vs. Kentucky Prediction & Odds

Unranked Michigan and #19 Kentucky both travel to London, England to face each other at 1:00 PM ET Sunday afternoon. Can the Wolverines cover the 9-point spread as neutral site underdogs?

Michigan is 5-2 on the year with their best wins coming over Pittsburgh and Ohio. Their only losses came against Arizona State and Virginia. The Wolverines are 3-4 against the spread this season.

Kentucky is 5-2 this season with their best wins coming over Duquesne and Bellarmine. Their only losses came against Michigan State and Gonzaga. The Wildcats are 4-3 against the spread this year.

Game Matchup and Betting Odds

737 Michigan Wolverines (+9) vs. 738 Kentucky Wildcats (-9); O/U 143

1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 4, 2022

O2 Arena, London, England

Michigan vs. Kentucky Public Betting Information

Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that the public is evenly split on this contest. Our public betting data illustrates that 50% of public bets are on Kentucky -9. Do note that these numbers are subject to change and could be different once tipoff rolls around, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.

Michigan Game Notes

Michigan’s star player is junior center Hunter Dickinson. Dickinson is averaging 19.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Both figures lead the Wolverines. Hunter Dickinson also leads Michigan in blocked shots with 2.3 per game. Michigan will need his offense and defense against Kentucky’s frontcourt on Sunday.

Michigan’s best guard is freshman Jett Howard. Howard is second on the team in scoring at 15.1 points per game, and he’s been doing it efficiently, as he’s shooting 50.7% from the field and 43.8% from beyond the arc. Jett Howard is 6’8” and 215 pounds, and he’ll likely use his length to bother Kentucky’s guards in this game.   

Kentucky Game Notes

You can’t talk about Kentucky without first mentioning senior center Oscar Tshiebwe. The 6’9” Congo native is leading the country in rebounding with 13.4 per game. He’s also second on the Wildcats in scoring at 14.4 points per game. He only scored 8 points in Kentucky’s 60-41 win over Bellarmine on Tuesday, so he should be due for a bounce-back game here.

Kentucky’s leading scorer is Illinois State transfer Antonio Reeves. Reeves is a 6’5” senior from Chicago who’s pouring in 14.9 points per game. Reeves is shooting extremely well from deep in the early part of the season, making 46.9% of his three-pointers on 7 attempts per game. He’ll probably need to hit multiple threes for the Wildcats to win and cover this contest. 

Michigan vs. Kentucky CBB Betting Trends

Michigan is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following an outright loss.

Michigan is 34-15-2 ATS in their last 51 neutral site games.

Kentucky is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 Sunday games.

Kentucky is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games. 

Michigan vs. Kentucky CBB Prediction:

Kentucky seems like a bit of a paper tiger to me. The Wildcats are 5-2 with an average point differential of +19.1, but that total is inflated due to Kentucky playing inferior opponents. Kentucky has only played 2 major conference programs (Michigan State and Gonzaga) and they lost to both of those schools by double digits. I think that a spread of 9 points is too high. I think these teams are more evenly matched than the point spread indicates, so I’ll take Michigan and points. 

CBB BETTING PREDICTION: MICHIGAN WOLVERINES +9