Kentucky Opens as Favorite Over LSU in SEC Tournament

Oddsmakers have Kentucky as a 6.5-point favorite in the opening round matchup.

Mar. 10, 2026 at 2:00am

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The SEC Tournament is set to begin, and Kentucky has opened as a 6.5-point favorite over LSU in their opening round matchup. The Wildcats are projected to win 80-73.5, with Kentucky having a 79% chance of victory according to ESPN's BPI. Both teams have struggled late in the season, but Kentucky is looking to bounce back after a late-season skid.

Why it matters

This opening round SEC Tournament game between Kentucky and LSU is an important early-round matchup that will set the tone for the rest of the tournament. Kentucky is the traditional powerhouse, but LSU has shown they can compete, even leading by 18 points in their previous meeting before Kentucky stormed back to win. This game could come down to the wire, making it a must-watch for college basketball fans.

The details

Oddsmakers in Las Vegas have Kentucky opening as a 6.5-point favorite over LSU, with a total of 153.5 points. KenPom projects a 79-74 Kentucky win, while Bart Torvik has it at 80-74 for the Wildcats. ESPN's BPI gives LSU just a 24.9% chance of pulling off the upset. Kentucky has won two of their last seven games, while LSU has won two of their last 10. Both teams have struggled against the spread recently, with Kentucky covering in three straight before failing to do so in the last two, while LSU covered four in a row before failing to cover the last three.

  • The SEC Tournament tips off on Wednesday, March 12, 2026.
  • Kentucky and LSU will play their opening round matchup at 12:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

The players

Kentucky Wildcats

A storied college basketball program that is one of the favorites to win the SEC Tournament.

LSU Tigers

An SEC opponent that has shown the ability to compete with Kentucky, even leading by 18 points in their previous matchup before the Wildcats stormed back to win.

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What they’re saying

“Catching the fever may lead to a sweat from BBN on Wednesday afternoon.”

— Nick Roush, Author

What’s next

The winner of the Kentucky-LSU matchup will advance to the next round of the SEC Tournament.

The takeaway

This opening round SEC Tournament game between traditional powerhouse Kentucky and upstart LSU promises to be a close and exciting affair, with the Wildcats opening as a narrow favorite but facing a Tigers team that has shown they can compete with the best in the conference.