The Kentucky Wildcats earned a No. 3 seed despite losing their opening game of the SEC Tournament and will face the Horizon League champion Oakland Golden Grizzlies in this South Region opening-round matchup.
With a second-round matchup against the winner of NC State and Texas Tech as the reward, let’s see if we can find the betting value in this matchup and how we can use our Round 1 March Madness betting promos.
📈 Kentucky vs. Oakland Odds
Kentucky-Oakland lines are current as of Thursday at 4 p.m. ET and were found at BetMGM Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: Kentucky (-1100), Oakland (+675)
- Spread: Kentucky -12.5 (-115), Oakland +12.5 (-105)
- Total points: Over 160.5 (-110), Under 160.5 (-110)
The Wildcats should be able to run away with this one and have a 13.5 spread to cover on BetMGM. While that’s a relatively high spread, they’re also a supremely talented team and will be able to take advantage of that talent discrepancy.
🔮 Kentucky vs. Oakland Prediction
Kentucky 83, Oakland 67
I hesitate to call anyone a lock, but the Wildcats are about as close as we can get to locking in a win for your bracket. Despite their SEC Tournament flame-out, the Wildcats started to play their best basketball toward the end of the regular season and are fully healthy.
While Oakland has had a nice run to get here, it’s overmatched and will struggle to keep up with Kentucky.
✅ Kentucky vs. Oakland Best Bet
Under 163.5 (-110)
BetMGM Sportsbook • 1 Unit
As I look at our March Madness odds, this total of 163.5 stands out as one that is just too high. I like the Wildcats to score a lot, but I struggle to see how the Grizzlies will keep pace enough to hit the Over here. They’ve scored more than 75 points just once in their last five games, and I don’t feel great about betting on the Wildcats to score 90 or more in order to make up the difference.
💰 Kentucky vs. Oakland Betting Promos
BetMGM Kentucky-Oakland March Madness Promo
BetMGM has a great promo that gives new users $150 in bonus bets regardless of whether or not your first wager wins or loses. If you sign up using promo code LWOS and then make your first bet that is at least $5, you’ll get $150 of bonus bets in your account whether you win or lose that first bet.
I’ve gone through my thoughts on the game total, and this is a great chance to get -105 odds on the Under at BetMGM. The Wildcats are going to put up points, but the Grizzlies are going to struggle to hold up their end of the bargain to get to 162.5.
DraftKings Kentucky-Oakland March Madness Promo
DraftKings has a great new player promo as well where all you have to do is register for a new account and deposit $5 in order to get your first wager back in bonus funds. And it only requires a $1 minimum bet!
I like this type of offer as a bit of a YOLO bet, so there’s an opportunity to put $5 on the +700 Oakland Moneyline to see if it’ll pull off the upset. It’s unlikely, but the worst-case scenario is that you still get $5 back in bonus bets for another game.
bet365 Kentucky-Oakland March Madness Promo
bet365 is giving new players a great promo that allows them the option to choose between two offers of a first-bet $1K safety net or a Bet $5, Get $150. If you use the promo code LWOS, you can then choose your offer.
I’m a broken record, but with 163.5 as the game total on bet365, this is a great chance to bet on what I think is a strong bet (the Under on 163.5) while also getting a great deal on with bonus bets.
📋 How To Claim Kentucky vs. Oakland Betting Promos
- Click to find your preferred Kentucky vs. Oakland March Madness sportsbook.
- Start the registration process: Enter your name, address, and other necessary information.
- Create a unique password.
- Make your first deposit.
- Place your bet.
- Once your bet has settled, you will receive your bonus as long as you’ve satisfied the initial requirements.
