Who will win Kentucky basketball vs Ole Miss in SEC showdown today? Our expert prediction

Posted by author February 4, 2025 Basketball

Kentucky and Ole Miss basketball have been up and down since starting SEC play.
Ole Miss is one of the best in the country at limiting turnovers, averaging just 9.3 per game.
The Rebels also force 15.73 turnovers per game, good for second in the SEC.

Kentucky basketball and Ole Miss, which play tonight, have both had roller-coaster results since jumping into SEC competition.

UK won three of its first four conference contests; it’s now lost three of its last four to sit at .500 (4-4) in the league. Ole Miss began 4-0 but has dropped four of five, a half-game (5-4) ahead of Kentucky in the conference standings entering tonight’s matchup in Oxford, Mississippi.

The Wildcats are 2-2 in SEC road games this season, topping Mississippi State and Tennessee and falling to Georgia and Vanderbilt. The Rebels are 10-2 at The Pavilion since the 2024-25 campaign commenced, with their defeats to two of the country’s best teams: Auburn and Texas A&M.

UK coach Mark Pope‘s club aims to avert falling under .500 in the conference. To do that, the Wildcats will have to force the Rebels into mistakes — which Chris Beard‘s bunch has been adept at avoiding this season. Ole Miss averages just 9.3 turnovers per game, the best figure in the SEC (and among the top five in the country). And the Rebels are equally skilled inducing errors from opponents: They force 15.73 turnovers per outing, narrowly trailing league leader Vanderbilt (15.9).

Ole Miss has four players averaging 10 or more points per game — and two more above 9 — this season, led by senior guard Sean Pedulla (15.2).

Here’s what to know about Kentucky’s SEC matchup against Ole Miss tonight in Oxford, Mississippi:

The contest between the Wildcats and Rebels will air on ESPN. You can stream ESPN on Fubo, which offers a free trial.

Authenticated subscribers also can access ESPN via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app or ESPN+.

UK and Ole Miss are slated to tip off at 7 p.m. ET today.

Oct. 23: exhibition vs. Kentucky Wesleyan ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 123, Kentucky Wesleyan 52
Oct. 29: exhibition vs. Minnesota State Mankato ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 98, Minnesota State Mankato 67
Nov. 4: vs. Wright State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 103, Wright State 62
Nov. 9: vs. Bucknell (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 100, Bucknell 72
Nov. 12: vs. Duke (Champions Classic; State Farm Arena, Atlanta) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 77, Duke 72
Nov. 19: vs. Lipscomb, (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 97, Lipscomb 68
Nov. 22: vs. Jackson State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 108, Jackson State 59
Nov. 26: vs. Western Kentucky (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 87, Western Kentucky 68
Nov. 29: vs. Georgia State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 105, Georgia State 76
Dec. 3: at Clemson (ACC/SEC Challenge) ∣ SCORE: Clemson 70, Kentucky 66
Dec. 7: vs. Gonzaga (Climate Pledge Arena; Seattle) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 90, Gonzaga 89 (OT)
Dec. 11: vs. Colgate (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 78, Colgate 67
Dec. 14: vs. Louisville (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 93, Louisville 85
Dec. 21: vs. Ohio State (CBS Sports Classic; Madison Square Garden, New York) | SCORE: Ohio State 85, Kentucky 65
Dec. 31: vs. Brown (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 88, Brown 54
Jan. 4: vs. Florida (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 106, Florida 100
Jan. 7: at Georgia | SCORE: Georgia 82, Kentucky 69
Jan. 11: at Mississippi State | SCORE: Kentucky 95, Mississippi State 90
Jan. 14: vs. Texas A&M (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 81, Texas A&M 69
Jan. 18: vs. Alabama (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Alabama 102, Kentucky 97
Jan. 25: at Vanderbilt | SCORE: Vanderbilt 74, Kentucky 69
Jan. 28: at Tennessee | SCORE: Kentucky 78, Tennessee 73
Feb. 1: vs. Arkansas | SCORE: Arkansas 89, Kentucky 79
Feb. 4: at Ole Miss, 7 p.m., ESPN
Feb. 8: vs. South Carolina (Rupp Arena), noon, ESPN2
Feb. 11: vs. Tennessee (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., ESPN
Feb. 15: at Texas, 8 p.m., ESPN
Feb. 19: vs. Vanderbilt (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., SEC Network
Feb. 22: at Alabama, 6 p.m., ESPN
Feb. 26: at Oklahoma, 9 p.m., SEC Network
March 1: vs. Auburn (Rupp Arena), 1/4 p.m., ABC/ESPN
March 4: vs. LSU (Rupp Arena), 7/9 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU
March 8: at Missouri, noon, ESPN/SEC Network

Record: 15-6 (4-4 SEC)

Ole Miss 76, Kentucky 72: UK point guard Lamont Butler has missed the past two games with a shoulder injury. Even if he’s able to play today, he likely won’t be 100% health-wise. He might even be on a minutes restriction, as the Wildcats want to ensure he’ll be at his best in March, not February. With that in mind, a Butler-less Kentucky — or even a Butler-limited Kentucky — is at a disadvantage against Ole Miss’ aggressive, high-pressure defense. In that vein, Ole Miss is similar to Vanderbilt. A team that UK lost to, on the road, committing a season-worst 17 turnovers. The Wildcats won’t get blown out. But with Butler and forward Andrew Carr recovering from injuries, and backup point guard Kerr Kriisa — who would do wonders for the Wildcats, if he were available — still out, the Rebels have the upper hand here, especially playing at home. UK will keep it close but will come up just short of recording another Quad 1 road win.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.