Santa Clara vs Kentucky Prediction, Picks & Odds | 20 Mar 2026

College Basketball Betting Preview: Santa Clara vs Kentucky

No. 10 Santa Clara Broncos go up against No. 7 Kentucky Wildcats in this NCAA Tournament First Round matchup at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, with tip-off scheduled for 12:15 on Friday, March 20.

The market might have underrated Santa Clara and -120 makes plenty of appeal considering the underdogs are +3.5 on the spread. Back them to cover the line against Kentucky.

The Santa Clara Broncos (26-8, 3rd in WCC) came up short last time out, losing 79-68 to the Gonzaga Bulldogs on the road.

The Kentucky Wildcats (21-13, 7th in SEC) lost their last game, falling 71-63 on the road to the Florida Gators.

NCAAB Regular Season	Overall	PF	PA	N. Pts	Home	Away	Strk
Santa Clara	26-8	2817	2463	354	16-3	10-5	1L
Kentucky	21-13	2746	2510	236	16-6	5-7	1L

View Full Standings

Santa Clara vs Kentucky Prediction & Picks

Prepare for Santa Clara vs Kentucky with our expert betting guide featuring a trusted match prediction, likely scoreline, key player props and a well-crafted bet builder.

Game Prediction

Our pick is that Santa Clara will be able to cover the spread in this college showdown, with +3.5 looking favorable for our wager. Take the -120 that is currently available.

We keep a close eye on team news and our college basketball handicappers stay sharp by tracking the latest form and lineups. You’ll also find a full set of stats that offer valuable insight and help shape smarter predictions ahead of the action.

Key Santa Clara vs Kentucky stats:

• The +3.5 line has been covered by Santa Clara in 16 of their last 20 games.
• The +3.5 line has been covered by Santa Clara in 7 of their last 10 games.
• The -3.5 line hasn’t been covered by Kentucky in 6 of their last 10 games.
• The -3.5 line hasn’t been covered by Kentucky in 3 of their last 5 games.

Santa Clara +3.5 Probability

The latest odds at the best betting apps suggest our pick carries a 54.6% chance of winning. However, our analysts think that the probability is close to 60% taking all factors into consideration. It’s the reason why we are recommending this college basketball bet.

If you want a viable alternative to backing Santa Clara on the spread, then the Winning Margin could be up your street. Choose from a range of options.

Claim exclusive offers now—our guide features top betting promo codes, the latest sign-up bonuses, and free bets.

Our Game Prediction

Santa Clara +3.5 @ -120 Bet Now

BetMGM Promo Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Get Bonus T&C apply. Gamble responsibly 18+

Disclosure: This preview contains affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. T&Cs apply. We only recommend licensed and regulated operators. See our Editorial Policy. Pick odds and lines reflect the price available at the time of publication (Mar 19, 17:02). Live market odds are updated regularly and may differ. 18+ (or legal age) | Gamble Responsibly.

Player Prop Picks

Top Pick: Denzel Aberdeen Under 4.5 Assists -147

Denzel Aberdeen (Kentucky) can be wagered to have Under 4.5 assists at -147. There’s no reason to oppose our instinct, so we’ll bet on him failing to cover the Player Assists total here.

Latest Denzel Aberdeen Player Prop Odds

Points

Over 15.5

-114

Under 15.5

-114

Assists

Over 4.5

+113

Under 4.5

-147

Rebounds

Over 2.5

-164

Under 2.5

+125

---

Allen Graves Over 7.5 Rebounds -105

Allen Graves (Santa Clara) can be wagered to total Over 7.5 rebounds at -105. We’re confident that he can oblige with an Overs bet considering the generous line that’s on offer.

Latest Allen Graves Player Prop Odds

Points

Over 13.5

-122

Under 13.5

-106

Rebounds

Over 7.5

-105

Under 7.5

-123

Pick odds and lines correct at publication. Live market odds are updated regularly and may differ. T&Cs apply. 18+ (or legal age) | Gamble Responsibly.

Correct Score Prediction

Santa Clara 77 - 75 Kentucky

There are massive odds on offer when it comes to Santa Clara landing a 77-75 win. A close game is anticipated between two evenly-matched teams.

T&Cs apply. 18+ (or legal age) | Gamble Responsibly.

Santa Clara vs Kentucky Odds

The odds and lines below are updated regularly and may differ from the prices shown in our picks, which are captured at the time of publication.

With the sportsbooks giving them a 61% probability of winning this college game, Kentucky might be a popular parlay pick. That is reflected in their -156 Moneyline betting odds. Santa Clara are trading at bigger odds than their opponents and they can be backed at +130.

The spread currently stands at 3.5 and the total points line is 159.5. A bet on the Totals allows fans to use the latest basketball data to good effect. If you fancy Under 159.5, then the odds are -105.

Whether you’re betting pre-game or in-game, the top basketball sportsbooks serve up a wide range of team props and game lines to choose from. The options are nearly endless, and it’s great to have so much variety.

Moneyline

Santa Clara

+130

Kentucky

-156

Point Spread

Santa Clara +3.5

-120

Kentucky -3.5

-102

Total Points

Under 159.5

-105

Over 159.5

-115

Otega Oweh is the market leader to rack up the most points. You can back -114 that this player gets Over 22.5 points. Alternatively, Under is trading at the same odds.

Otega Oweh (Kentucky)

Over 22.5

-114

Under 22.5

-114

Denzel Aberdeen (Kentucky)

Over 15.5

-114

Under 15.5

-114

Christian Hammond (Santa Clara)

Over 15.5

-110

Under 15.5

-118

Allen Graves (Santa Clara)

Over 13.5

-122

Under 13.5

-106

Elijah Mahi (Santa Clara)

Over 13.5

-109

Under 13.5

-119

Collin Chandler (Kentucky)

Over 10.5

-109

Under 10.5

-119

Mouhamed Dioubate (Kentucky)

Over 7.5

-127

Under 7.5

-102

Malachi Moreno (Kentucky)

Over 6.5

-116

Under 6.5

-111

Denzel Aberdeen (Kentucky)

Over 4.5

+113

Under 4.5

-147

Allen Graves (Santa Clara)

Over 7.5

-105

Under 7.5

-123

Malachi Moreno (Kentucky)

Over 6.5

+122

Under 6.5

-159

Otega Oweh (Kentucky)

Over 5.5

-108

Under 5.5

-120

Elijah Mahi (Santa Clara)

Over 5.5

+104

Under 5.5

-135

Mouhamed Dioubate (Kentucky)

Over 5.5

-100

Under 5.5

-130

Collin Chandler (Kentucky)

Over 3.5

-106

Under 3.5

-122

Denzel Aberdeen (Kentucky)

Over 2.5

-164

Under 2.5

+125

Latest regular season and playoff games stats.

Santa Clara Stats

Kentucky Stats

Moneyline

• 7 wins and 3 defeats in the last 10 games

Moneyline

• 4 wins and 6 defeats in the last 10 games

Point Spread

• +3.5 Betting Line: Have covered the spread in 7 of the last 10 games

Point Spread

• -3.5 Betting Line: Have covered the spread in 4 of the last 10 games

Total Points

• Game Totals: An average of 157.40 pts in the previous 10 games
• Over 159.5: Covered in 4 of the previous 10 games
• Team Totals: Have scored an average of 81.10 pts and allowed 76.30 pts in the last 10 games

Total Points

• Game Totals: An average of 158.60 pts in the previous 10 games
• Over 159.5: Covered in 6 of the previous 10 games
• Team Totals: Have scored an average of 78.80 pts and allowed 79.80 pts in the last 10 games

NCAAB Regular Season Table Select Season 2025/20262024/20252023/20242022/20232021/20222020/20212019/2020

Southeastern	Overall	PF	PA	N. Pts	Home	Away	Strk
Florida	26-7	2864	2376	488	18-3	8-4	1L
Arkansas	26-8	3058	2723	335	20-3	6-5	5W
Vanderbilt	26-8	2936	2557	379	15-3	11-5	1L
Alabama	23-9	2935	2671	264	15-6	8-3	1L
Georgia	22-10	2874	2533	341	15-6	7-4	1L
Tennessee	22-11	2622	2289	333	16-5	6-6	1L
Texas A&M	21-11	2807	2546	261	14-5	7-6	1L
Missouri	20-12	2549	2411	138	15-4	5-8	3L
Kentucky	21-13	2746	2510	236	16-6	5-7	1L
Texas	18-14	2681	2458	223	13-7	5-7	3L
Oklahoma	19-15	2813	2621	192	13-5	6-10	1L
Auburn	17-16	2730	2620	110	14-6	3-10	1L
LSU	15-17	2606	2512	94	10-9	5-8	4L
Ole Miss	15-20	2656	2664	-8	9-9	6-11	1L
Mississippi State	13-19	2484	2618	-134	9-10	4-9	6L
South Carolina	13-19	2398	2447	-49	11-8	2-11	1L

West Coast	Overall	PF	PA	N. Pts	Home	Away	Strk
Gonzaga	30-3	2809	2178	631	20-0	10-3	2W
Saint Mary's	27-5	2502	2066	436	18-1	9-4	1L
Santa Clara	26-8	2817	2463	354	16-3	10-5	1L
Seattle	20-13	2373	2211	162	15-5	5-8	1L
Pacific	18-15	2399	2271	128	13-3	5-12	1L
Oregon State	17-16	2347	2447	-100	13-8	4-8	1L
San Francisco	17-16	2464	2414	50	11-6	6-10	1L
Loyola Marymount	15-17	2376	2306	70	10-10	5-7	2L
Portland	14-19	2426	2582	-156	12-6	2-13	1L
San Diego	12-21	2458	2570	-112	9-8	3-13	1L
Washington State	11-20	2435	2495	-60	9-8	2-12	4L
Pepperdine	9-23	2312	2546	-234	7-10	2-13	1L

• Overall = Overall Wins-Losses
• PF = Total Points For
• PA = Total Points Against
• N. Pts = Point Differential
• Home = Home Record
• Away = Away Record
• Strk = Current Streak

Top Basketball Pages