NCAAB Odds, Pick for Kentucky vs Arkansas

The No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats look to continue their march to the top of the SEC. This Saturday's matchup will be a road test against the Arkansas Razorbacks, who need to defend their home court.

John Calipari's club comes into this matchup off a double-digit loss to South Carolina, in which Kentucky was unable to play its brand of basketball. However, the Wildcats may now have an ideal matchup to get back on track.

As for the Razorbacks, they've disappointed and are just one game over .500. To put their struggles into perspective, they have dropped 92 spots in KenPom's rankings since the beginning of the season.

The Wildcats are back in the title conversation because they have become an offensive juggernaut. They come into this matchup fourth in adjusted offensive efficiency.

Kentucky ranks fifth in effective field goal percentage and third in offensive turnover rate. That is a rare combination that shows that Kentucky will be a tough team to beat because the Wildcats don't beat themselves.

The Wildcats should be able to bounce back offensively as the Razorbacks aren't the stout defensive club we've seen in years past. Arkansas has done a good job of using its size to protect the rim, but Kentucky is a guard-centric team that gets 63% of its offense from the mid-range and beyond.

Arkansas' biggest downfall has been on the offensive end of the floor. Eric Musselman's team ranks 200th in effective field goal percentage, which isn't what anyone would expect from a roster built on size and athleticism.

The Razorbacks have a slew of talented guards, but haven't proven that they can make defenses pay from the perimeter. In fact, Arkansas has shot just 32.3% from beyond the arc. As a result, opponents have limited Arkansas' ability to get to higher-percentage looks, which has made the offense go cold for stretches.

Kentucky isn't an elite defensive club by any stretch, but does have the size to control the paint. So, unless Arkansas can get it going from outside, the Razorbacks may find themselves on the wrong end of an extended run in this game.

It's clear Arkansas has nearly hit rock bottom. The Razorbacks are 1-5 in conference play, and while that may signal this game to be a buy-low spot, they don't have enough to keep up with Kentucky.

The Wildcats have found ways to break teams with their tempo and efficiency on the offensive end of floor. If they are back on track, the Razorbacks could be down big, as they haven't shown the offensive prowess to match Kentucky.

Back the Wildcats to cover.

Pick: Kentucky -6

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