The second game of Saturday’s doubleheader in the annual CBS Sports Classic gives us No. 4 Kentucky and Ohio State in a 5:30 p.m. ET tipoff from New York’s Madison Square Garden. The Wildcats and Buckeyes have met just twice in this series and five times in history, with OSU owning the 2-0 edge in the Classic and an 0-3 deficit elsewhere.
Kentucky can eat into that OSU lead Saturday as a narrow favorite in this one with the tools and momentum after winning 10 of its first 11 games. Under first-year coach Mark Pope, UK has leaned in to a stylistically fun offense that has powered it to big wins of late over Louisville and Gonzaga.
That stands in stark contrast to its opponent, Ohio State, which has stumbled to a 7-4 record and been on the wrong side of some beatdowns against quality opponents the last few weeks. This game feels like a litmus test for both as they put the finishing touches on nonconference play and rev up for league action in the coming weeks.
How to watch Kentucky vs. Ohio State live
Date: Saturday, Dec. 21 | Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
Location: Madison Square Garden — New York
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime (Try It Free)
Kentucky vs. Ohio State prediction, picks
Odds via SportsLine consensus
These two teams are going opposite directions — and fast — entering the weekend. Kentucky is 10-1 having beat Gonzaga and Louisville in the last two weeks. Ohio State is 7-4 with a 2-3 record in its last five games and a lot of uncertainty as far as its roster due to injuries and the news this week that Meechie Johnson is taking a leave of absence. I know which team I prefer here. Prediction: Kentucky -7.5
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