Kentucky Football opens up as TD underdog in Week 1 vs. Auburn

The Kentucky Wildcats at Auburn Tigers line has opened at -7.5, favoring the home side. Ranked No. 11 to start the season, Auburn will have its hands full with the Wildcats roster that will be returning many of its starters from a season ago.

This updated line came from BetOnline (www.BetOnline.ag). It was dropped just under half a week after the Action Network released odds that put the Wildcats as double-digit underdogs.

Multi-positional quarterback Lynn Bowden Jr. might have left for the NFL, but the Wildcats may still be as dangerous as ever. With more of a traditional quarterback in Terry Wilson under center, the Wildcats will have more of a pass attack in 2020.

That said, they’ll be one of the many teams looking to pull of a big-time Week 1 upset, and some analysts aren’t betting against it.

“I mean Kentucky, if you look at FPI, SP+, those types of ratings, [Kentucky is] sort of middle of the pack (in the SEC) and really, not too many notches below Auburn in terms of preseason rankings. So that might well be the most intriguing on the field game of Week 1,” Rece Davis of ESPN’s College GameDay noted on the Paul Finebaum Show according to 247Sports.

Brandon Marcello of 247Sports put the entire game on one player, Joey Gatewood.

“Lemme change my take. If the NCAA clears Joey Gatewood, the game of Week 1 in the SEC will be Kentucky at Auburn. And that’ll be an upset win for UK if JG plays,” Marcello said as Kentucky still awaits the NCAA’s decision on Gatewood’s transfer waiver. Gatewood was the No. 1 athlete in the 2018 high school class.

With four defensive four-star recruits inbound, the Wildcats should be much-improved on that side of the ball. Can they continue to put up points without the dynamic Bowden Jr. running the show?

That’ll be another key decision-maker as Kentucky looks to shock the SEC to open the season.