College Basketball Best Bets Today: Kentucky and Texas SEC Tournament Picks

The Texas Longhorns are playing for seeding, while the Mississippi Rebels need to win the SEC Tournament to make March Madness. We’ve seen Texas find varying amounts of success throughout the season, but that hasn’t been the case for Ole Miss.

This game is going to come down to free throws and offensive rebounding.

Texas ranks 23rd in the country in offensive rebounding rate (36.1%) this season. Ole Miss currently ranks 297th in opponent offensive rebounding rate (32.9%). On the other side, the Rebels struggle with offensive rebounds of their own, while the Longhorns don’t allow their opponents many.

Both of these teams have found success at the free-throw line this season. The difference is the rate at which they get there. Texas ranks third in the country in FTA/FGA (46.2%), while Ole Miss ranks 211th in the same category (34.1%). These teams struggle with allowing free throws as well.

Ultimately, Texas should see plenty of second-chance opportunities and free throws throughout this game. They should capitalize on them in a way that Ole Miss can’t, giving them an edge to advance in an important game.

Where to Bet: Texas -5.5 spread | -115 at FanDuel Sportsbook

The Kentucky Wildcats feel like one of the most underrated teams in the NCAA entering tournament season. They’ve been a huge disappointment this season in terms of expectations, but they are drastically underranked in the SEC Tournament. The LSU Tigers have struggled against high-end competition the entire season.

There are several important aspects as to why Kentucky should handily defeat LSU in the SEC Tournament. First, the Wildcats have struggled with turnovers because they don’t have a true point guard. LSU is also loose with the ball, although neither team forces turnovers at a high rate.

Both teams struggle with fouls, but Kentucky is drastically better at drawing them. LSU does have an edge in free-throw percentage, but the Wildcats should find more free throws throughout the game. Kentucky also struggles to defend the three-point line, but the Tigers don’t have anyone outside of Max Mackinnon who is a solid shooter.

Finally, Kentucky will have a massive edge in rebounding. LSU has struggled on the glass at times this season, while the Wildcats have been outstanding. It’ll result in easy second-chance points throughout the game.

These teams played a close game earlier this season, but I don’t expect LSU to find the same efficiency in this type of game.

Where to Bet: Kentucky -7.5 spread | -110 at FanDuel Sportsbook

2025-26 CBB Season Betting Record: 2-4