Kentucky vs. Auburn: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More

The Kentucky Wildcats will take their dominant act on the road this Wednesday night to take on the Auburn Tigers in an SEC battle. 

The Wildcats started the season ranked second in the country, and they have done nothing to make us think any differently. Despite one hiccup against Indiana last month, they have been running over all of their opponents. 

The Tigers started the season strong with eight wins in nine games, albeit against poor competition, but have since gone on to lose four of their last six.

They rank in the bottom half of the country in points per game, rebounds and field-goal percentage. That's not a good recipe for an upset. 

Where: Auburn Arena in Auburn, Alabama

When: Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 8:00 p.m. EDT

Watch: ESPN Full Court; Streaming live on ESPN3.com

Listen: WKYM 101.7 FM (Kentucky); Kicker-FM 97.7 (Auburn)

Betting Line: Kentucky (-16), according to Vegas Insider

Key Injuries

Kentucky guard Sam Malone hit bottom on December 22 when he tore his ACL against Chattanooga. He is out for the season, but the Wildcats have not missed a beat without him. 

What's At Stake?

The Wildcats are firmly entrenched in the No. 2 spot in the AP and coaches' rankings. They are not going to move up until Syracuse loses a game, but they can continue to make their case as the best team in the country with a dominant performance on the road. 

The Tigers are just looking to build some kind of momentum. It's not likely to happen after they just got blown out by 28 points at Vanderbilt last Saturday.

Any positives they can find from this game they are going to have to, because they need something. 

What They Are Saying

Auburn head coach Tony Barbee told the Lexington Courier-Journal that even though this game is being played in the Tigers' backyard, he is not underestimating the strength of the Wildcats. 

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“(Playing at home) doesn’t make it any easier with Kentucky,” Barbee said. “Coach (Calipari) has had a bunch of great teams. This is another one with a ton of talent and a bunch of length. … He’s done with this team what he does with all his teams: He gets them to play as hard as any team in the country, and he gets them to play as unselfish as any team in the country.”

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Kentucky head coach John Calipari is trying to make sure that his team doesn't get overwhelmed in just its second true road game of the season. 

From Cincinnati.com:

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“I’m anxious to see how we respond,” Calipari said. “We need to get some road games under our belt to see what we have to do and learn about our team. … We’re still trying to figure out if we’ll be better on the road than we were a year ago.”

 

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Kentucky Player To Watch: F Terrence Jones

After a rough stretch in December that saw him score less than 10 points in four games and injure his finger, Jones has bounced back nicely this month.

He has scored 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds in two January games. He is not being asked to do much, but he is starting to get back into the swing of things.

If he can increase his production as the season moves along, the Wildcats will be even more dangerous heading into the tournament. 

Auburn Player To Watch: F Kenny Gabriel

The Tigers need a special performance from their best player if they want to win this game, and Gabriel has established himself as the best offensive weapon they have. 

He is a 6'8" forward that can shoot the ball from anywhere on the court. He has struggled against Florida State and Vanderbilt, which does not bode well for his chances against Kentucky, but he has to be the one to step up and make plays in order to keep the team in it for 40 minutes. 

Key Matchup: Marquis Teague vs. Varez Ward

The one area of the game that the Wildcats don't excel at is at the point.

They have a number of great players who can score with the ball in their hands, but they don't have a great pure point guard. 

Ward is going to have to contain Teague in the backcourt if he wants to keep the game close, and he will have to attack the basket when he is on offense. He isn't a great athlete, nor is he explosive enough to run around better defenders. 

Prediction

Kentucky's talent will overwhelm Auburn early and won't let up until the final buzzer sounds. 

Kentucky 80, Auburn 50

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