KENTUCKY vs NC STATE
When: 1/2/2021 12:00 PM
Where:

TV: 12:00 PM
LINE: 2.5
PREDICTION: NC STATE , KENTUCKY

Oddsmakers currently have the NC STATE listed as 2.5 point favorites versus the KENTUCKY, while the game’s total is sitting at 51.5.

By the end of the regular season, there were positive feelings for both No. 23 North Carolina State and Kentucky.

One of the teams will extend that good mood when they meet in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 2 in Jacksonville, Fla.

“It’s been a very trying year for all of us and our team is ready to move forward with a fifth straight bowl game,” said Mark Stoops, the first Kentucky coach to lead the Wildcats to five consecutive bowl appearances.

“We’ve invested a lot to this point,” said NC State coach Dave Doeren, whose team’s late-season push resulted in a national ranking. “It’s the last time this group will get to play together, and we wanted to have one more ride.”

Despite NC State (8-3) holding twice as many victories as Kentucky (4-6), the Wildcats were listed as early favorites in this bowl matchup. Four of Kentucky’s losses came to nationally ranked teams.

Both teams ended their regular seasons by winning on Dec. 5 — NC State topping Georgia Tech while Kentucky throttled South Carolina.

“We’re at 100 percent so the guys are all back and out there practicing and working hard and having some fun,” Stoops said of early bowl preparations.

“The energy is high,” Kentucky defensive end Josh Paschal said. “We’re just ready to get to the bowl game and get ready to play.”

NC State went 2-3 against nationally ranked opponents, though the Wolfpack didn’t face Atlantic Coast Conference championship game combatants Clemson or Notre Dame.

The Wolfpack closed the regular season with four consecutive victories — the team’s best such stretch to end a regular season since 2008.

NC State’s most recent bowl outing came two years ago in the Gator Bowl, where it was blown out by Texas A&M. The Wolfpack are 1-3 all-time in the Gator Bowl.

“We’re a different team this year,” said NC State safety Tyler Baker-Williams, who pointed out that he didn’t like the team sitting out the 2019 postseason. “We have a bigger chip on our shoulder. We’re just ready to show out.”

Kentucky lost four years ago to Georgia Tech in its lone Gator Bowl appearance.

“We hope to play better this go around,” Stoops said.

The Wildcats won against Virginia Tech in last year’s Belk Bowl (now named Duke’s Mayo Bowl) in Charlotte, N.C.

Albeit playing 10 conference games (rather than the normal eight), NC State set a school record by winning seven ACC games this year. In 2019, it was 1-7 in league play.

“I think the record speaks for itself on what we accomplished this year and the way we accomplished it,” Doeren said.

Linebacker Payton Wilson of NC State leads the ACC with 10.8 tackles per game. Wilson joined defensive lineman Alim McNeill as All-ACC first-team selections.

Kentucky’s lone All-SEC first-team selection was senior center Drake Jackson.

The Kentucky-NC State series is tied 1-1. NC State won in 1909 at home and Kentucky won in 1970 at home.

The post KENTUCKY vs. NC STATE 1/2/2021 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

DUKE vs KENTUCKY
When: 9:30 PM  ET, Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana

TV: 9:30 PM
LINE: -1
PREDICTION: KENTUCKY , DUKE

Oddsmakers currently have the KENTUCKY listed as -1 point favorites versus the DUKE, while the game’s total is sitting at 155.

A major showdown will take place on the opening night of the season when No. 2 Kentucky faces No. 3 Duke in the State Farm Champions Classic in Indianapolis on Tuesday. The Wildcats have a deep incoming class while also landing Stanford transfer Reid Travis, and the Blue Devils unveil the nation’s top three recruits in RJ Barrett, Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish.

Travis brings 98 games of experience to a young roster and is looking forward to a top-level opponent in his first game at Kentucky. “The mood is a lot of excitement,” Travis said in a press conference. “Taking it game by game, but obviously we’re getting to the real big games so it’s a lot of excitement in the locker room. We want to get better, and just continue to prepare to grow.” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is still defining roles but will throw his freshman trio of stars into the fire and see how things play out. “We’ll face different tempos and obviously Kentucky will be one of the most talented teams that we will play, but we just have to keep moving,” Krzyzewski said during a press conference. “We’re developing really good habits.”

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT DUKE (2017-18: 29-8): The college debut of Williamson has been an anticipated event since early in his high school career and Kentucky was one of the schools he shunned. The 6-foot-7, 285-pound Williamson has mixed well with fellow forwards Barrett and Reddish as well as another incoming freshman in point guard Tre Jones while also impressing his older teammates. “He’s so much more than just an incredible athlete,” junior forward Jack White said during a press conference. “One thing that sticks out to me is his passing ability. He can really pass the ball. He’s a really smart player. He always seems to make the right play. He makes his teammates better.”

ABOUT KENTUCKY (2017-18: 26-11): Travis (19.5 points, 8.7 rebounds) and sophomore forward PJ Washington (10.8 points, 5.7 rebounds) give the Wildcats a solid frontcourt duo that ranks among the best in the nation. Sophomore guard Quade Green (9.3) was a part-time starter last season and freshman Tyler Herro is expected to be a major 3-point threat, but Kentucky may get some answers about some of the other newcomers during the game against the Blue Devils. “We’ve got a couple of days to prepare for this next one, that will be a hard game,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said at a press conference. “Now may be harder than I thought. We need more energy defensively and the game Tuesday will be great for film to see who needs to do what.”

TIP-INS

1. Kentucky leads the series 12-9, but Duke has prevailed in seven of the past nine meetings.

2. Junior C Marques Bolden (3.9 average) is the Blue Devils’ leading returning scorer.

3. Travis scored 20 or more points on 18 occasions and posted 16 double-doubles in his final season at Stanford.

PREDICTION: Kentucky 76, Duke 75

The post DUKE vs. KENTUCKY 11/6/2018 Free Pick & CBB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

KENTUCKY vs FLORIDA
When: 9/8/2018 7:30 PM
Where:

TV: 7:30 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: FLORIDA , KENTUCKY

Oddsmakers currently have the FLORIDA listed as point favorites versus the KENTUCKY, while the game’s total is sitting at .

The post KENTUCKY vs. FLORIDA 9/8/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

C MICHIGAN vs KENTUCKY
When: 3:30 PM ET, Saturday, September 1, 2018
Where: Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky

TV: 3:30 PM
LINE: -17
PREDICTION: KENTUCKY , C MICHIGAN

Oddsmakers currently have the KENTUCKY listed as -17 point favorites versus the C MICHIGAN, while the game’s total is sitting at 49.

Terry Wilson will be the starting quarterback when Kentucky opens its season Saturday in a non-conference game against visiting Central Michigan, but the focus of the offense will once again be Benny Snell, Jr. The junior running back will look to get off to a strong start in his bid for a third straight 1,000-yard season for the Wildcats, who have won all six prior meetings with the Chippewas.

Snell is the top returning rusher in the SEC after logging 1,333 yards and a conference-best 19 touchdowns a season ago. The 5-11, 223-pound native of Westerville, Ohio, was the 19th player in SEC history to reach 2,000 career yards prior to his junior season and joined Georgia’s Herschel Walker and Knowshon Moreno as the only players to have at least 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns in his freshman and sophomore seasons. Already the program leader in rushing touchdowns with 32, Snell needs 1,412 yards to surpass Sonny Collins, who accrued 3,835 yards from 1972 to 1975, as the school’s all-time leading rusher. Central Michigan will also have a new starting quarterback in sophomore Tony Poljan, who saw limited action under center and at wide receiver last season for fourth-year coach John Bonamego. 

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU. LINE: Kentucky -17

ABOUT CENTRAL MICHIGAN (2017: 8-5): The Chippewas have a polished runner of their own in junior Jonathan Ward, who churned out 1,017 yards on the ground and caught 48 passes for 470 yards while amassing 13 total touchdowns last season. In his team’s eight wins, Ward went for 836 yards on 121 carries (6.9 average) but was limited to 181 yards on 58 runs (3.1) in five losses. Poljan, the Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year in 2015, can also run despite his 6-7, 235-pound frame as he had more than 3,000 yards and 58 touchdowns on the ground at Lansing Catholic. 

ABOUT KENTUCKY (2017: 7-6): Wilson spent a redshirt season at Oregon in 2016 before heading to Garden City Community College in Kansas and was the No. 5 rated junior college player by ESPN. The sophomore dual-threat quarterback, who chose the Wildcats over Florida and Nebraska, threw for 2,113 yards and 26 touchdowns and ran 518 yards and five scores for Garden City last season. Wilson beat out sophomore Gunnar Hoak, who redshirted in 2016 and practiced but did not see any action last season for Kentucky, which has won nine straight against teams from the Mid-American Conference and 19 of 22 overall.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Wildcats senior LB Josh Allen, who has racked up 20.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks in three seasons, and senior S Mike Edwards, who became the fourth player in school history to lead the team in tackles and interceptions, join Snell on the preseason All-SEC first team.

2. Redshirt freshman Naasir Watkins or sophomore transfer E.J. Price will play left tackle for Kentucky after starter Landon Young was lost for the season with a right knee injury.

3. Snell will attempt to join Artose Pinner (2002), Moe Williams (1995) and Collins (1973) as the only Kentucky players to lead the SEC in rushing yards.

PREDICTION: Kentucky 27, Central Michigan 16

The post C MICHIGAN vs. KENTUCKY 9/1/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals
When: 11/26/2016 12:00 PM

TV: Noon ET, ESPN.
LINE: Louisville -26.
PREDICTION: Louisville 45, Kentucky 14

Oddsmakers currently have the Cardinals listed as 27½-point favorites versus the Wildcats, while the game’s total is sitting at 71.

The disappointment of the loss to Houston last week still seems to be lingering a bit with Louisville heading into Saturday’s regular-season finale against Kentucky.

The No. 11 Cardinals (9-2, 7-1 ACC) and unranked Wildcats (6-5, 4-4 SEC) kick off at noon ET at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in Louisville with ESPN cameras covering the action.

The 36-10 whipping by the Cougars essentially squashed whatever hopes the Cardinals had of garnering one of the four spots in the College Football Playoff. At 11-1, they would have been in the conversation. At 10-2, not so much.

“We blew it. We had an opportunity sitting there,” coach Bobby Petrino said immediately after the game. “It was one of those situations where they were better than us tonight. There’s no question about it.”

Mistakes, which started with the Cardinals fumbling the opening kickoff away to set up Houston’s first touchdown, led to their downfall. They lost two other fumbles, were penalized 15 times for 114 yards, allowed a remarkable 11 sacks, and got only one touchdown and a field goal on three trips inside the red zone.

“When you look at a video when you get beat, you always consider two things,” Petrino said. “Did we just get beat, or did we beat ourselves?

“Certainly that game was a combination of the two.”

But it’s time to move on, and Petrino thinks the Cardinals have.

“Our focus is completely on this game,” he said, looking to Kentucky. “And winning this game and doing everything we need to do be successful in winning this football game. And, like I said, send the seniors out with a win.”

The Wildcats come into the affair having already reached bowl eligibility for the first time since 2010 with last week’s 49-13 win over Austin Peay, unlike the last two years when they needed to beat Louisville for a sixth win. Thus they will be playing without that kind of pressure weighing on them.

“I don’t know if it is a relief,” Wildcats coach Mark Stoops said, “but it is certainly better. I wish we were sitting at seven or eight, but definitely a better situation.”

Freshman Benny Snell has rushed for a Kentucky freshman-record 1,006 yards, a good bunch of it by taking direct snaps from the “wildcat” formation. Junior Boom Williams has amassed 1,072 yards in more conventional fashion.

“They’ve made a commitment to running the football,” Petrino said, “We know going into the game we’re going to need to stop the run, and we’re going to need to the ball to win the game.

“So it should be a good matchup.”

Quarterback Stephen Johnson, a junior college transfer who took over when Drew Barker suffered a season-ending back injury the third game of the season, also has been a big key in the Wildcats’ turnaround from an 0-2 start.

“They now have a quarterback that can run the ball and throw the ball deep,” Petrino said. “And they’re running a lot of the wildcat game. I think the installation of the quarterback has really helped because he has a strong arm and can throw the deep ball.

“Once you loosen people up, you can run the football.”

Of course, Louisville has a pretty good runner and passer at quarterback as well. Sophomore Lamar Jackson has rushed for nearly 125 yards a game and passed for another 283. He has scored 19 touchdowns and passed for another 28.

He has Stoops’ respect.

“What I admire most about Lamar Jackson is you can see his leadership and you can see his toughness,” Stoops said. “Just watching some of their games when I could get a chance throughout the year, and, of course, on film you don’t see as much as on TV, but you could see how strong he is and what type of leader he is.

“They are good across the board and well-coached across the board, but when they need a play he is there. He will either run or throw it or make a good decision and will his team to wins.

“You have to have a lot of respect for someone like that.”

The post Kentucky vs. Louisville Odds & Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

First-year players from the U.S. and overseas convened in New Jersey this week to attend four days of classes aimed at helping them make the jump to the pros. The NBA and the players’ union collaborated to give them information on everything from financial planning and retirement to ways to handle relationships with women.

Towns was the No. 1 overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He called the experience and eye-opener. Towns says being able to hear from former NBA stars about the pitfalls that await was particularly helpful.

NBA senior vice president of player development Greg Taylor calls it the most important four days of a player’s career.

The post NBA rookies gather in New Jersey for transition program appeared first on IdealCapper.