Troy vs. Kentucky March Madness Preview and Prediction
In the No. 14 vs. No. 3 matchup in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region, the Troy Trojans face the Kentucky Wildcats in first-round action.
Make VSiN your home for the duration of the NCAA Tournament and beyond. Take advantage of our college basketball betting tools and previews and predictions on every single March Madness game. We have College Basketball Betting Splits from DraftKings Sportsbook and Circa Sports, updated Vegas College Basketball Odds, College Basketball Odds from other states, College Basketball Matchup Data, and more.
Check out Greg Peterson’s Daily College Basketball Lines, Steve Makinen’s Power Ratings Lines, and look at College Basketball Picks from our VSiN Experts.
How to Watch Troy vs. Kentucky
When: 7:10 p.m. ET on Friday, March 21st
Where: Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Watch: CBS
Odds for Troy vs. Kentucky
(odds current at time of publish)
Spread: Kentucky -10.5 (-110), Troy +10.5 (-110)
Total: Over 152.5 (-115), Under 152.5 (-105)
DraftKings Betting Splits | Live College Basketball Odds | Troy vs. Kentucky Matchup Page
Troy vs. Kentucky Preview & Prediction
Kentucky enters the NCAA Tournament with a new face at the helm, as Mark Pope took over a program that hasn’t made it past the first weekend since 2019. The Wildcats have been all over the map this season, with high-profile wins like their victory over Duke but also head-scratching losses, including a blowout to Ohio State.
Offensively, they’re among the nation’s elite, shooting well from deep and excelling in transition, but their defense, particularly inside, has been a glaring weakness. They rank near the bottom of power-conference teams in forcing turnovers and struggle to protect the paint, a concern as they navigate what could be a tricky draw.
Troy, making its first tournament appearance since 2017, thrives on attacking the rim and taking 3s, but the problem is they’re not great at actually making those outside shots, ranking in the 330s in 3P%. They defend the paint well, crash the offensive boards, and force turnovers at a high rate, but their own turnover issues and lack of perimeter efficiency could make it tough to pull an upset.
Their struggles against Power Five competition earlier in the season don’t inspire confidence, but Scott Cross has built a tough, scrappy team that could at least make Kentucky uncomfortable. If Troy can exploit the Wildcats’ interior defense, they might keep this one closer than expected, but unless they find an out-of-character shooting performance from deep, Kentucky should move on.
Estimated Score: Kentucky 82, Troy 70
For expert predictions, go to our college basketball best bets page.
