Kentucky Wildcats vs Arkansas Razorbacks Prediction, 1/31/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Kentucky Wildcats vs Arkansas Razorbacks

Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026

Location: Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, AR

TV: ESPN

The Kentucky Wildcats (14-7) are headed to Bud Walton Arena on Saturday where they will play the Arkansas Razorbacks (16-5).

The Kentucky Wildcats faced off with Vanderbilt and walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 80-55 in their last contest. Kentucky finished the game having earned a 32.2% FG percentage (19 of 59) and knocked down 6 out of their 24 3-point shots. At the charity stripe, the Wildcats knocked down 11 of their 19 attempts for a rate of 57.9%. In regard to pulling down boards, they earned 33 with 10 of them being of the offensive sort. They also doled out 8 dimes in this contest while forcing 8 turnovers and getting 6 steals. In terms of defending, Kentucky allowed the other team to shoot 40.3% from the field on 25 of 62 shooting. Vanderbilt dished out 13 dimes and had 9 steals in the matchup. In addition, Vanderbilt grabbed 41 rebounds (12 offensive, 29 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. Vanderbilt ended up going 80.0% from the charity stripe by making 20 of 25 attempts. They also knocked down 10 of their 26 shots from downtown. In reference to fouls, the Wildcats finished with 19 and Vanderbilt accounted for 18 fouls.

Otega Oweh is someone who was a major factor in this game. He scored 20 points on 7 of 19 shooting. He was on the court for 31 minutes played and also collected 5 rebounds. He finished the game at 36.8% from the floor and recorded 3 assists.

Get all of our NCAA Betting Picks

Kentucky heads into this matchup with a win-loss mark of 14-7 on the season. They are turning it over 10.5 times per contest and as a squad they are committing 17.3 fouls per game. As a team, Kentucky is snagging 38.2 boards per contest and has accumulated 344 dimes on the year, which has them ranked 63rd in D-1 in terms of passing the rock. The Wildcats are hitting 33.9% on shots beyond the perimeter (174 of 513) and 73.1% from the charity stripe. They currently have an average of 81.2 points per game (85th in the country) while connecting on 46.6% from the floor.

On the defensive end, the Wildcats are able to force 11.5 turnovers every game while drawing 18.0 fouls. They are currently ranked 239th in D-1 in allowing assists to the opposition with 294 conceded for the season. The Wildcats defense is allowing a FG percentage of 41.3% (509 of 1,231) and they concede 33.8 boards per contest as a team. They relinquish 30.6% on 3-pointers and they rank 108th in college in PPG allowed (70.8).

When they last stepped on the court, the Arkansas Razorbacks got the win with a final of 83-79 when they played Oklahoma. With respect to rebounding, Arkansas allowed Oklahoma to pull down 33 in total (10 offensive). They finished the game shooting 37.0% from downtown by hitting 10 of 27 and finished the contest at 11 of 12 from the free throw line (91.7%). The Razorbacks allowed Oklahoma to make 29 out of their 63 attempts from the floor which left them shooting 46.0% for the contest. Overall, the Razorbacks walked away from this one shooting 35 out of 63 from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 55.6%. When discussing three-point shots, Arkansas knocked down 2 of their 17 attempts (11.8%). They were able to bury 11 of those for a rate of 84.6%. Oklahoma was called for 12 personal fouls for the game which took the Razorbacks to the free throw line for a total of 13 shots. They also turned the ball over 6 times, while recording 4 steals for this game. The Razorbacks were able to pull down 23 defensive rebounds and 5 offensive boards totaling 28 for the game.

Darius Acuff Jr. ended up being a factor for the Razorbacks in this game. He totaled 21 points in his 36 minutes on the court and had 9 dimes in this matchup. He buried 7 of 16 in the matchup for a field goal rate of 43.8%, and earned 3 rebounds.

Arkansas has a mark of 16-5 for the year. When it comes to offensive execution, the Razorbacks are shooting 49.8% from the field, which is ranked 21st in the nation. Arkansas has earned 1,875 points this season (89.3 per contest) and they snag 36.8 rebounds per contest. They are assisting teammates 17.6 times per game (27th in Division 1) and they are losing possession via turnover 9.7 times per contest. The Razorbacks have committed 16.0 personal fouls per game and they hit 74.8% from the charity stripe.

The Arkansas defense gives up 31.4% on 3-point attempts (178 of 566) and opponents are knocking down 71.4% of their free throw attempts. They give up 14.6 dimes and 34.1 rebounds on a nightly basis, which is 272nd and 161st in those categories. The Razorbacks defensively are ranked 277th in D-1 in PPG surrendered with 77.2. They are able to force 12.1 TO's per game and have let teams shoot 43.8% from the field (177th in Division 1).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Kentucky

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get college basketball picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.