Two of the premier teams in a powerful SEC conference look to end the regular season on a high note as the Missouri Tigers host the Kentucky Wildcats. Both teams are long shots in the March Madness odds.

Our Kentucky vs. Missouri prediction, odds, and expert picks note that the Tigers have dropped three of their last four games. But we expect them to course correct at home. Our best sportsbooks list them as 5.5-point favorites.

Kentucky has been inconsistent all year and has lost three of its last four road games, which is why we project this trip to Mizzou Arena at noon ET (airing on ESPN) to be too much to handle.

💰 Kentucky vs. Missouri predictions, expert picks & best bets today

Here are my best Kentucky vs. Missouri predictions, expert picks, and best bets today with my pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale. Be sure to check out the rest of our college basketball picks along with our guide on how to bet on college basketball.

• Against the spread pick: Missouri -5.5 (-108 via FanDuel) vs. Kentucky ⭐⭐⭐
• My best player prop bet: Koby Brea Under 2.5 3-pointers made (-145 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Exact score prediction: Missouri 91, Kentucky 84 (+17000 via DraftKings) ⭐

🏀 Kentucky vs. Missouri ATS prediction & best player prop bet pick

Here's why I'm betting on Missouri to cover the spread (-5.5) while targeting Koby Brea Under 2.5 3-pointers made as my best player prop bet pick for today:

✅ Missouri to cover the spread (-5.5) ⭐⭐⭐

Missouri’s leaky defense is to blame for its poor stretch. The Tigers have allowed eight of their last nine opponents to score more than one point per possession after just eight of their first 21 did so.

Missouri has allowed 95 points per game in its last three losses, but all of those games were on the road. 

In their eight conference home games, which includes a game against the nation’s highest-scoring team (Alabama), the Tigers have allowed an average of just 70.9 points.

Missouri forces turnovers at the second-highest rate (18.8%) in SEC play. That should be its most significant advantage when facing a Kentucky team playing without the injured Jaxson Robinson, who's one of the Wildcats’ best ball-handlers and shot-creators.

This is a three-star play, as the Tigers have eclipsed the 100-point mark in their last two home games. Additionally, they entered that stretch as the best defensive rebounding team in the league at home while shooting 41% from beyond the arc at Mizzou Arena. 

FanDuel offers the best price for Missouri backers, as it's alone among our best sportsbooks while charging less than the standard -110 juice for a spread of -5.5.

📊 Best odds: -108 via FanDuel (bet $10 to win $9.26)

🔥 Koby Brea Under 2.5 3-pointers made ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kentucky’s Koby Brea is one of the best perimeter shooters in the country. He's backing up last year’s 49.8% 3-point percentage while making 43.5% of his 3-point attempts this season.

But Missouri head coach Dennis Gates is one of the best defensive minds in the country. I expect him to change defenses consistently and to take advantage of Robinson’s injury by using less defensive help off of Brea.

Brea has made multiple 3-pointers in four of the last five games, including four threes twice during that span against Auburn and Alabama. But Missouri does an excellent job of running teams off the 3-point line, especially in league play. 

The Tigers allow opponents to shoot from deep on just 37.8% of their field-goal attempts. Meanwhile, Kentucky allows 3-point tries on 46.6% of opponents’ field-goal attempts.

📊 Best odds: -145 via bet365 (bet $10 to win $6.90)

🎯 Expert Kentucky vs. Missouri score prediction

🔮 Expert score prediction: Missouri 91, Kentucky 84

Kentucky has only produced one winning streak since mid-January, and none longer than two games. That is why I’m predicting a final score of Missouri 91, Kentucky 84.

📊 Best odds: +17000 via DraftKings (bet $10 to win $1700)

📊 Live Kentucky vs. Missouri odds & latest betting splits

Here are the latest odds for Kentucky vs. Missouri, which update live in real time. You can also check out our NEW college basketball player prop odds tool for the latest college basketball odds on any market across legal sportsbooks in your region.

🔢 Kentucky vs. Missouri opening odds

Here's a look at the opening odds for Kentucky vs. Missouri according to BetMGM.

• Spread: Kentucky +5.5 (-115) | Missouri -5.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: Kentucky +170 | Missouri -210
• Over/Under: Over 169.5 (-105) | Under 169.5 (-115)

🏆 Who will win Kentucky vs. Missouri?

As of Saturday morning, Missouri was the 5.5-point favorite to beat Kentucky while getting moneyline odds of -220 at BetMGM, which suggest a 68.75% win probability for the Tigers. We're predicting a 91-84 win for Missouri as our final score projection.

So far, 67% of bettors wagering on the spread are backing Kentucky at +5.5, while 69% expect the game to finish Over the projected total of 169.5 points.

In the hours before tipoff some -6.5 offerings for Missouri began to emerge, with the line shifting toward the Tigers.

📺 How to watch Kentucky vs. Missouri tonight

📅 Date: Saturday, March 8, 2025
🕗 Time: Noon p.m. ET
📍 Location: Mizzou Arena (Columbia)
📺 TV: ESPN
💻 Streaming: ESPN+

❓ Kentucky vs. Missouri FAQs

Who is favored to win Kentucky vs. Missouri?

Missouri is a slight moneyline favorite to beat Kentucky. The Tigers are trading at -210 at our best sports betting sites, giving them a 67.74% implied probability.

What are the betting odds for Kentucky vs. Missouri?

The latest spread is Missouri -5.5 (-110) | Kentucky +5.5 (-110), with a total of 169.5 points (-110).

What will be the final score of Kentucky vs. Missouri?

We're predicting a final score of Missouri 91, Kentucky 84 entering today's matchup at Mizzou Arena.

What time is Kentucky vs. Missouri today?

Tipoff for Kentucky vs. Missouri is slated for today at noon ET.

⛹️ Best college basketball betting sites

Looking to bet on college basketball tonight? Here are our best March Madness betting sites as determined by our expert team at Sportsbook Review, along with our best March Madness betting promos ahead of the NCAA Tournament.

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