The No. 12 Kentucky Wildcats (15-5, 4-3 SEC) will welcome their former head coach to Lexington when they host the Arkansas Razorbacks (12-8, 1-6) on Saturday night. John Calipari spent 15 years with the Wildcats before departing last April, leading the program to three Elite Eights, four Final Fours and a national championship in 2012. Calipari could use a win on Saturday, as Arkansas has lost six of its last seven games. Kentucky is off to a strong start under new head coach Mark Pope, and the Wildcats are coming off an upset win over No. 8 Tennessee on Tuesday. Lamont Butler remains out for Kentucky. 

Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. ET on Saturday at Rupp Arena. Kentucky is favored by 9.5 points in the latest Kentucky vs. Arkansas odds, while the over/under is 155 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Arkansas vs. Kentucky picks, you’ll want to see the NCAA Basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 13 of the 2024-25 season on an 202-142 betting roll (+2468) 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. Arkansas. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines for the game:

• Kentucky vs. Arkansas spread: Kentucky -9.5
• Kentucky vs. Arkansas over/under: 155 points
• Kentucky vs. Arkansas money line: Kentucky -568, Arkansas +419
• Kentucky vs. Arkansas picks: See picks here
• Kentucky vs. Arkansas streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)

Why Kentucky can cover

Kentucky has won three of its last five games, with all three of those victories coming against top-15 teams. The Wildcats picked up a 78-73 win over No. 8 Tennessee on Tuesday, despite entering that game as 10.5-point underdogs. It was a balanced effort for Kentucky, as all five of its starters finished in double figures. 

Senior guard Koby Brea, who is one of the best 3-point shooters in college basketball, scored a team-high 18 points while shooting 3 of 3 from the perimeter. Senior center Amari Williams posted a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds to provide a valuable paint presence. Kentucky is 15-1 in its last 16 home games, and Arkansas is just 1-6 against the spread in its last seven games. See which team to pick here. 

Why Arkansas can cover

While Kentucky has three top-15 wins in its last five games, it has also lost twice as a favorite. The Wildcats fell to Alabama at home on Jan. 18 before losing to Vanderbilt on the road last Saturday. They are facing an Arkansas team that has been within single digits in four of its last five losses.     

The Razorbacks had an extra week to prepare for this game following a narrow loss to Oklahoma last Saturday. Junior forward Adou Thiero leads Arkansas with 16.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while freshman Boogie Fland is likely out for the remainder of the season due to a hand injury. Kentucky has only covered the spread twice in its last 10 Saturday home games. See which team to pick here. 

How to make Kentucky vs. Arkansas picks

The model has simulated Arkansas vs. Kentucky 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Kentucky vs. Arkansas, and which side of the spread hits over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Arkansas vs. Kentucky spread you need to jump on, all from the model on an 202-142 roll on top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.