2025 Kentucky Football Betting Preview Presented by GoldSheet | SEC Predictions
The Kentucky football program saw a brief surge in offensive production under the leadership of former offensive coordinator Liam Coen. But since his departure to the NFL in 2023, the Wildcats’ offense has fallen back to the bottom of the SEC charts.
2025 Kentucky Football Preview
SEC Betting Odds
| Team | 2024 Record | 2025 Win Total | SEC Odds | Nat’l Champ Odds |
| Alabama | 9-4 (5-3) | 9.5 (o -125 / u +105) | +380 | +1100 |
| Arkansas | 7-6 (3-5) | 5.5 (o +110 / u -130) | +15000 | +40000 |
| Auburn | 5-7 (2-6) | 7.5 (o -160 / u +135) | +2800 | +7000 |
| Florida | 8-5 (4-4) | 7.5 (o +115 / u -135) | +1800 | +4000 |
| Georgia | 11-3 (6-2) | 9.5 (o -170 / u +140) | +330 | +700 |
| Kentucky | 4-8 (1-7) | 4.5 (o -115 / u -105) | +25000 | +50000 |
| LSU | 9-4 (5-3) | 8.5 (o -140 / u +120) | +700 | +1800 |
| Ole Miss | 10-3 (5-3) | 8.5 (-110) | +1600 | +4500 |
| Mississippi St | 2-10 (0-8) | 3.5 (o -160 / u +135) | +50000 | +80000 |
| Missouri | 10-3 (5-3) | 7.5 (o +130 / u -155) | +6000 | +15000 |
| Oklahoma | 6-7 (2-6) | 6.5 (o -170 / u +140) | +2800 | +6500 |
| South Carolina | 9-4 (5-3) | 7.5 (o +125 / u -150) | +2500 | +6000 |
| Tennessee | 10-3 (6-2) | 8.5 (o +115 / u -135) | +2500 | +6000 |
| Texas | 13-3 (7-1) | 9.5 (o -170 / u +140) | +270 | +550 |
| Texas A&M | 8-5 (5-3) | 8.5 (o +125 / u -150) | +1500 | +4000 |
| Vanderbilt | 7-6 (3-5) | 5.5 (o +130 / u -155) | +20000 | +50000 |
Odds above courtesy of DraftKings as of July 26. The Wildcats went 4-8 straight-up, 7-5 against the spread last season. Kentucky lost outright as a favorite four times last season, including a 25-point loss to South Carolina as a 9.5-point home favorite and a seven-point loss to Vanderbilt as a 13-point home favorite.
2025 Kentucky Football Roster
Projected Returning Starters: 13 (Eight on offense / five on defense
Projected Starting QB: Zach Calzada (Kentucky will be his fourth NCAAF team)
Returning Production: 59-percent (63-percent on offense / 55-percent on defense)
Incoming Talent Class: No. 25 nationally / No. 13 in SEC
Coaching Changes: No major changes. Head coach Mark Stoops, offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan and defensive coordinator Brad White all return.
Returning starters are courtesy of Phil Steele’s 2025 College Football Preview Magazine. Returning production is courtesy of Bill Connelly’s conference preview series at ESPN. Incoming talent rankings are courtesy of 247 Sports’ Composite Ratings, which capture the talent rankings of both incoming freshman and incoming transfers.
2024 Kentucky Football Stats
Strength of Schedule: No. 10 (courtesy of Jeff Sagarin)
Turnover Differential: -7 (No. 109 Nationally)
Plays per Game: 64.3 (No. 112)
Seconds per Play: 28.1 (No. 111)
Average Time of Possession: 29:31 (No. 82)
Kentucky Football Stats on Offense
Yards per Game: 330.4 (No. 114)
Points per Game: 20.6 (No. 119)
Yards per Play: 5.25 (No. 107)
Offensive Success Rate: 40.6-percent (No. 89)
Explosive Plays (20+ Yards): 49 (No. 95)
Net EPA per Play: -0.06 (No. 98)
Kentucky Football Stats on Defense
Yards per Game Allowed: 345.5 (No. 44)
Points per Game Allowed: 22.1 (No. 32)
Yards per Play Allowed: 5.80 (No. 86)
Defensive Success Rate: 41.5-percent (No. 78)
Explosive Plays Allowed (20+ Yards): 50 (No. 43)
Success Rate is an advanced metric that factors in the down and distance in relation to yards gained. A two-yard gain for a running back doesn’t look great in his overall box score, however a two-yard gain on 3rd-and-2 is a successful play. A low success rate on defense means you’re doing a good job of stopping the opponent from achieving successful plays. EPA stands for expected points added per play and it is a measure of how many points a team adds (or loses) on each play compared to the expected value.
2025 Kentucky Football Schedule
2025 Football GoldSheet Newsletter
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WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
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