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The No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats will be hoping to bounce back from their double-overtime loss to Michigan State when they face the South Carolina State Bulldogs on Thursday night. Kentucky had opened the season with a pair of blowout wins over Howard and Duquesne, so it will be eyeing a similar result in this game. South Carolina State has gone winless in its first three games and is amid an 11-game road trip to open the year.  

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Wildcats are favored by 40 points in the latest Kentucky vs. South Carolina State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 145.5. Before entering any South Carolina State vs. Kentucky picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past six years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of more than $1,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anybody who has followed it has seen profitable returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Kentucky vs. South Carolina State. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds for South Carolina State vs. Kentucky:

  • Kentucky vs. South Carolina State spread: Kentucky -40
  • Kentucky vs. South Carolina State over/under: 145.5 points
  • Kentucky vs. South Carolina State picks: See picks here

Why Kentucky can cover

Kentucky is going to be angry heading into this game following its loss to Michigan State, particularly star big man Oscar Tshiebwe. He fouled out down the stretch of the double-overtime loss, but he still put up 22 points and 18 rebounds on 9 of 17 shooting. Tshiebwe is facing a South Carolina State team that does not have the talent or size to deal with him, so he should be getting easy looks throughout the evening. 

He was last season's National Player of the Year and was making a delayed debut after missing the first two games of the season due to a knee issue. The Wildcats also got double-digit scoring efforts from veterans Sahvir Wheeler and Jacob Toppin, along with 14 points, eight steals, five rebounds and five assists from five-star freshman Cason Wallace. South Carolina State has lost its last two games in blowout fashion, so it is going to have trouble competing on Thursday night. 

Why South Carolina State can cover

South Carolina State is quickly racking up experience playing away from home, as it is three games into an 11-game road trip to open the year. The Bulldogs have already made one trip to an SEC school, nearly pulling off a huge upset as 26-point underdogs at South Carolina last week. All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference third-team pick Rahsaan Edwards scored 16 points in the team's exhibition win prior to the regular season, while Lesown Hallums and Davion Everett are both scoring more than 12 points per game. 

Kentucky is just a few days removed from a crushing double-overtime loss, while South Carolina State has not played since Monday. The Wildcats also have a showdown with No. 2 Gonzaga coming up on Sunday, so this game might not command their full attention. They have only covered the spread twice in their last six games, making them a team to avoid right now. 

How to make Kentucky vs. South Carolina State picks

The model has simulated South Carolina State vs. Kentucky 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Kentucky vs. South Carolina State? And which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine to see which side of the South Carolina State vs. Kentucky spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $1,200 on its college basketball picks the last six years, and find out.