Kentucky vs. Alabama odds, prediction: 2025 college basketball picks, Jan. 18 best bets from proven model

The No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats (14-3, 3-1 SEC) will host the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide (14-3, 3-1) in an SEC showdown on Saturday afternoon. Kentucky has an impressive 5-0 record against top-15 teams this season, including an 81-69 win over No. 11 Texas A&M on Tuesday. Alabama had its eight-game winning streak snapped in a 74-64 loss to No. 21 Ole Miss on Tuesday, despite entering that game as a 12-point favorite. The Wildcats cruised to a 117-95 win in the lone meeting between these teams last season. 

Tipoff is set for noon ET on Saturday at Rupp Arena. After opening at -2.5, the Wildcats are now favored by 1.5 points in the latest Kentucky vs. Alabama odds, while the over/under is 179 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Alabama vs. Kentucky picks, you’ll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 11 of the 2024-25 season on an 195-134 betting roll (+2882) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Kentucky vs. Alabama. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines for the Alabama vs. Kentucky game:

• Kentucky vs. Alabama spread: Kentucky -1.5
• Kentucky vs. Alabama over/under: 179 points
• Kentucky vs. Alabama money line: Kentucky -129, Alabama +108
• Kentucky vs. Alabama picks: See picks here
• Kentucky vs. Alabama streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)

Why Kentucky can cover

Kentucky has put its best foot forward against the best teams it has faced this season, winning all five of its matchups against top-five teams. The Wildcats are coming off a 95-90 road win against then-No. 14 Mississippi State last Saturday and an 81-69 win over No. 11 Texas A&M on Tuesday. They also recorded wins over then-No. 6 Duke, then-No. 7 Gonzaga and then-No. 6 Florida earlier in the campaign. 

The Wildcats are ranked third nationally in points per game (88.7), led by Otega Oweh (15.4) and Lamont Butler (13.4). BYU transfer Jaxson Robinson scored 49 combined points in the past two games, knocking down seven 3-pointers against Mississippi State. Kentucky has won 10 of its last 11 home games against Alabama, and it has covered the spread in four of its last five games overall. See which team to pick here. 

Why Alabama can cover

Alabama rattled off eight consecutive wins before getting knocked off by Ole Miss at home on Tuesday, but that should give them an increased level of motivation on Saturday. The Crimson Tide had 21 turnovers and shot 5 of 20 from 3-point range to finish with their lowest point total of the season. However, they are still tied for the national lead in points per game (89.5). 

Veteran guard Mark Sears leads Alabama with 18.6 points per game, while senior forward Grant Nelson is averaging 12.0 points and 8.6 rebounds. Reserve Aden Holloway had a team-high 15 points off the bench on Tuesday. The Crimson Tide have covered the spread in five of their last six games, while Kentucky has only covered twice in its last nine Saturday home games. See which team to pick here. 

How to make Kentucky vs. Alabama picks

The model has simulated Alabama vs. Kentucky 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Kentucky vs. Alabama, and which side of the spread hits 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Alabama vs. Kentucky spread you need to jump on, all from the model on an 195-134 roll on top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.