No. 23 Kentucky (1-0) will host James Madison (0-1) on Friday night at Rupp Arena in Lexington, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. The Wildcats opened the season with an 85-57 victory over Manhattan, led by Milan Momcilovic's 24 points. James Madison fell to Miami (OH) 86-77 in their opener, with Paul Jones III averaging 14.0 points per game.
Kentucky enters as a 24.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 156.5 points. The money line lists Kentucky at -9091 and James Madison at +3500. The SportsLine Projection Model, which has posted an 11-1 record on top-rated over/under picks dating back to 2025, projects the total to go under 156.5 points, hitting in 52% of simulations. The model also forecasts five Kentucky players to score in double figures, led by Alex Wilkins with over 20 points, while James Madison has three players projected to reach double digits.
