Santa Clara vs Kentucky Prediction 3/20/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

Andrew Jett

5 hours ago

Mar 24, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA;Kentucky Wildcats cheerleaders perform in the first half against the UCLA Bruins during the semifinals of the South Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-Imagn Images

MATCHUP	Santa Clara Broncos	Kentucky Wildcats
Team Records	26-8	21-13
Spread	+3.5 -118	-3.5 -102
Moneyline	+130	-155
Total	Over 157.5 (-110)	Under 157.5 (-110)
Where	Kentucky Stadium
When	Friday, March 20, 2026
Time	12:15 PM EDT
TV	CBS

The Santa Clara Broncos and the Kentucky Wildcats meet Friday in NCAA Tournament First Round college basketball action from Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Here’s a Santa Clara vs Kentucky prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Santa Clara vs Kentucky pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

Santa Clara Broncos Betting Preview

The Broncos were sitting at 13-5 back in early January, then hit a nice win streak. Those victories came versus LMU, Pacific, Saint Mary’s, San Diego, San Francisco, LMU again, Pacific, Washington State and Seattle U. After losses to Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s in the next four the Broncos beat Pacific and Saint Mary’s in the conference tournament before a loss to Gonzaga.

In the matchup with the Bulldogs last Tuesday in the West Coast Tournament, the Broncos held a four-point edge 33-29 at the break. Santa Clara was outscored 50-35 the rest of the way however, leading to a loss 79-68 in the end. Christian Hammond led the scoring in the losing effort with 24 points and three assists while Allen Graves had 11 points with nine boards.

Kentucky Wildcats Betting Preview

Over on the Kentucky side, they managed a pretty solid 17-7 run over their first 24 games by early February and were coming off an 8-1 run. Losses to Florida, Georgia, Auburn, Texas A&M and Florida came in the final seven games of the regular season, then wins over LSU and Missouri. Kentucky’s most recent loss came versus Florida for a 21-13 overall record this year.

In the SEC Tournament game versus Florida last Friday, the Wildcats were down by nine points 37-28 by the end of the first half. Kentucky hit a 35-34 advantage the rest of the way but it wasn’t nearly enough in a 71-63 loss. Denzel Aberdeen topped the team with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists while Mouhamed Dioubate added 14 points with three boards.

Santa Clara Broncos @ Kentucky Wildcats Betting Trends: March 20, 2026

Why the Kentucky Wildcats will win

Kentucky has won each of its last six day games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Santa Clara has lost four of its last five day games against non-AP-ranked opponents at a neutral venue.

Why the Santa Clara Broncos will win

Santa Clara has won each of its last five games when playing with a rest advantage.
Kentucky has lost the first half in each of its last three games against non-Conference opponents at neutral venues.

Total Points Facts

Each of Kentucky’s last six games against non-Conference opponents at neutral venues have produced a total of 159 or fewer points.
Six of Santa Clara’s last seven day games at a neutral venue have produced a total of 158 or fewer points.

Matchup/League Facts

Kentucky ranks 50th among Division 1 teams for blocks per game this season (4.3).
Santa Clara ranks 14th among Division 1 teams for steals per game this season (9.1).
Santa Clara ranks 23rd among Division 1 teams for three-point field goal attempts per game this season (29.2).

Santa Clara vs Kentucky Prediction

I’ll take a stab on Santa Clara here; I just wish the line were a little thicker. The Broncos had a good first half in their loss to Gonzaga but wilted from there and eventually shot just 38.2 percent from the field with 52.8 percent surrendered on defense. Santa Clara did have a 33-32 rebounding edge and just nine turnovers but also got beaten in the paint 36-24. The Broncos are still 3-1 in their last four games with 76 or more points scored in each of the three wins. They’re going to have to hit the gas on offense against Kentucky, though.

Speaking of Kentucky, they held Florida to just 37.9 percent from the field and 15 percent (3-of-20) from outside in their latest loss, scoring 18 points off 16 Gators turnovers. Trouble is, the Wildcats shot just 35.6 percent from the field with a 45-29 rebounding deficit. Kentucky seems to have regained their composure a bit after skidding into the postseason, notching a combined 165 points in the conference tourney wins over LSU and Missouri. Santa Clara should be firmly within the Wildcats’ wheelhouse, but I think the Broncos can hang around well enough to cover if all goes according to plan. With the thin line however, you could easily go Kentucky’s way and feel pretty confident about it.