Kansas vs. Kentucky prediction, odds, time: 2026 Champions Classic picks by proven model

Unbeatens clash when the No. 15 Kansas Jayhawks face the No. 24 Kentucky Wildcats in the 2026 Champions Classic on Tuesday night. Kansas will be without starting guard Melvin Council Jr., who broke his right foot during practice on Monday and will undergo surgery. The Jayhawks (2-0) are coming off an 89-45 win over Middle Tennessee on Friday. The Wildcats (2-0), meanwhile, defeated James Madison 89-80 that same night.

Tipoff from the United Center in Chicago is at 9:30 p.m. ET. Kansas is a 4.5-point favorite in the latest Kansas vs. Kentucky odds, while the over/under is 158.5. Before making any Kansas vs. Kentucky picks, check out the Kansas vs. Kentucky predictions from the SportsLine projection model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 2 of the 2026-27 season on a sizzling 11-1 run on its top-rated over/under college basketball picks on betting sites dating back to 2025, and is on a 28-22 run on top-rated CBB side picks.

Now, the model has set its sights on Kansas vs. Kentucky and just revealed its betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college basketball odds and betting lines for Kentucky vs. Kansas:

Top Kansas vs. Kentucky predictions

After evaluating Kansas vs. Kentucky from every angle, the model is going Under on the total (158.5 points) on the best betting apps. The Jayhawks are reeling a bit with the loss of Council. The Under has also hit in seven of the past 10 head-to-head meetings. It has hit in seven of the past 10 Kansas games, and in two of the last three Kentucky matchups.

The model projects four Kansas players to score in double figures, with Trey Kaufman-Renn projected to score more than 16 points on average. It says four Wildcats will score at least 11 points, led by Alex Wilkins, who will score more than 17.

The model has the Under hitting 62% of the time. See the Kansas vs. Kentucky spread pick at SportsLine.

How to make Kansas vs. Kentucky picks

In addition to going Under, the model also says one side of the spread hits in nearly 70% of simulations. You can head to SportsLine to see his picks.