Kentucky Wildcats 2023 Future Odds
Will Liam Coen's Return do Wonders for Kentucky's Offense?
New quarterback, (sort of) a new offensive coordinator. The Kentucky Wildcats appear to be in good hands moving forward with head coach Mark Stoops.
Despite the strength of the SEC, expectations have ticked up a notch for the Wildcats in 2023. Can they meet them? Let’s take a closer look at the Kentucky Wildcats future odds in our team preview.
Kentucky Wildcats At A Glance
| Odds to Win | Opening Odds | Current Odds |
| National Championship | +15000 | +15000 |
| Conference | +10000 | +10000 |
| Regular Season Win Total | 6.5 (o-115, u-105) | 7.0 (o-115, u-115) |
| To Make Playoffs (if applicable) | N/A | N/A |
In with Leary, Out with Levis
Coming off a 7-6 season, expectations continue to rise for the Kentucky Wildcats. The Wildcats lost 21-0 to Iowa in the Music City Bowl, albeit without star quarterback Will Levis, who opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft.
Levis is a big loss. However, head coach Mark Stoops did well to replace him, landing former NC State starter Devin Leary. Stoops also brought back offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who had worked in that same capacity in 2021 before taking a coordinator position with the Los Angeles Rams. The Wildcats finished 116th in total offense last season, averaging just 20.4 points and 324.7 yards per game.
Kentucky won’t have much room for error in the SEC. Plus, Leary is already a senior. However, the Wildcats should get off to a strong start with games against Ball State, FCS program Eastern Kentucky and Akron to kick off September. That should afford Leary the time he needs to work out the kinks and understand Coen’s offense before the schedule picks up strength. Another bowl game seems like the ceiling for the Wildcats in 2023, which is fine.
National Championship Odds: Keep Dreaming
Kentucky is a basketball school. And it will remain as such. Kentucky has never won a national championship in football. Given the construction of the SEC, that’ll remain true for years to come. The Kentucky Wildcats future odds are +15000.
By adding Leary, the Wildcats ensured they shouldn’t fall too far following the departure of Levis. But there’s likely a limit to what they can accomplish in 2023, especially in the mighty SEC. It is certainly not an NCAA title.
Conference Odds: The SEC is Georgia’s or Alabama’s to Lose
Hear that? It’s Georgia or Alabama in the SEC. Maybe, just maybe, LSU will play its way into the mix too. But Kentucky? Don’t count on it. Most college football predictions will tell you, the Wildcats don’t really have a shot. It’s no surprise given that they’ve posted just one winning record in SEC play over the last four seasons.
Kentucky is one of four schools with +10000 odds, joining Arkansas, Missouri, and Vanderbilt. Everyone is 8/1 or better. In other words, Kentucky is much closer to the bottom of the SEC than the top. That’s important to reminder when assessing the Kentucky Wildcats future odds.
Regular Season Wins: Total Ticks Up
After opening at 6.5, with the Under juiced to -105, Kentucky’s projected win total has climbed to 7.0. Whether the Wildcats can match or exceed that total will largely depend on how they fare in SEC play. They’ve finished better than .500 in conference just twice since 1977, a mind-boggling statistic that speaks to their usual irrelevance in the NCAAF rankings.
Kentucky, of course, has been far better of late. They’ve made seven consecutive bowl appearances under Stoops and were ranked as high as seventh in the Associated Press Top 25 poll last season. But the SEC remains daunting, with games against Georgia (Oct. 7) and Alabama (Nov. 11). Kentucky doesn’t have much of a chance in those.
Fortunately, the non-conference slate is soft, beginning Sept. 2 against Ball State. Kentucky is currently a 26-point favorite and -5000 on the moneyline, with Ball State priced at +1600.
To Make Playoffs: It’s an Extreme, Extreme Longshot
Kentucky isn’t being given much of a shot to make the College Football Playoff. In fact, there currently aren’t even any odds. That’s all you need to know about its chances. At this point, it’s not even a remote possibility.
For NCAAF scores, odds, analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
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