Kentucky vs Auburn: Betting odds, TV channel, live stream, prediction

The Kentucky Wildcats go on the road to take on the Auburn Tigers, in a season opener that sees both of these SEC teams ranked in the AP Top 25.

In 2019, the Auburn Tigers were one of the best teams in all of college football. Now, their 9-4 record comes off in a different way but the losses the Tigers suffered were just to teams that were simply better than them. Auburn lost three conference games to Florida, LSU, and Georgia and would go on to lose their bowl game to Minnesota but they also had some big wins, beating Oregon in their season opener, a ranked Texas A&M, and their biggest, and most important win of any season, was over Alabama.

The Tigers lost their three conference games by an average of seven points, meaning they were just a few good plays away from being a 10-plus win team, which is the mentality this team brings into the 2020 season. And their season will hinge on that on the play of quarterback Bo Nix, who although had some struggles last year, performed pretty well as a true freshman. But if the Tigers want to make the jump and get back into the SEC title game, they will need him to make a jump in his play and be one of the best quarterbacks in the conference.

The Tigers take on the Kentucky Wildcats this Saturday, who followed up a 10-win season in 2018, with an 8-5 record last season, finishing fourth in the SEC East. There are some questions at quarterback for the Wildcats entering 2020, not to who will start, but how short is the leash on mistakes as Kentucky has several options. But the biggest hole that will need to be filled is the one left in the Wildcats’ run game, as last year’s leading rusher and best player, Lynn Bowden Jr., is now in the NFL.

Quarterback Terry Wilson returns from injury, however, to direct the Wildcats offense.

On defense, the Wildcats have the majority of their 2019 starters returning and should be a strong anchor for a team searching for their fifth straight winning season, something they have not done since having 11 straight winning seasons from 1946 to 1956. The Wildcats have a tough schedule this year facing SEC offenses and will need their defense to make some big plays in each of those games.

The Tigers are searching for a conference title and a spot in The Playoff, while the Wildcats want to show that have not reached their ceiling yet, but one has got to give on Saturday.

Here’s how to watch and bet on the Kentucky vs. Auburn game

• Date: Saturday, Sept. 26
• Start Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
• Location: Auburn, Alabama
• Stadium: Jordan-Hare Stadium
• TV Info: SEC Network
• Odds: Auburn -7.5, O/U 47.5
• Live Stream: WatchESPN

Prediction: Auburn has the ability to open this game up and get themselves a big lead in the first quarter but after a wacky offseason and the fact that the Wildcats are not the same Wildcats we are used to seeing, this game is going to be a dog fight from start to finish. Kentucky has a solid secondary and will force Nix to make some errant throws. Auburn’s defense will keep Kentucky out of the endzone for most of the game and force them to settle for field goals. Ultimately, Nix gets settled in near the fourth quarter and puts together a couple of solid drives that result in points and Auburn narrowly avoids the upset.

Score: Auburn 30, Kentucky 23

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