Kentucky
Kentucky baseball vs Illinois prediction, odds for NCAA tournament regionals
LEXINGTON — Kentucky jumped to an eight-run lead Friday and then held on for a 10-8 win over Western Michigan in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament’s Lexington Regional.
Illinois never trailed in a 4-1 win over Indiana State in Friday’s nightcap.
Now, the Wildcats and Fighting Illini are set to square off Saturday.
UK, 41-14 on the season and the NCAA Tournament’s No. 2 overall seed, captured a share of the SEC regular-season title for only the second time. Illinois is a regular-season conference champ as well, winning the Big Ten for the first time since 2015.
Get to the game: Looking for Kentucky baseball tickets in the Lexington Regional? Here are the best options for the 2024 NCAA Tournament
Here’s what to know about UK’s NCAA regional matchup against Illinois at Kentucky Proud Park, with first pitch set for 6 p.m. Saturday:
Kentucky baseball vs Illinois prediction in NCAA regional bracket
Kentucky 5, Illinois 4: On paper, this matchup is like splitting hairs. Illinois averages 8.2 runs per game; Kentucky is at 8.1. The expected starting pitchers, UK’s Trey Pooser and Illinois’ Cooper Omans, have nearly identical rates in hits allowed per nine innings (7.01 for Omans, 7.14 for Pooser) and walks + hits per innings pitched — better known by its acronym WHIP — that has Pooser (1.18) slightly ahead of Omans (1.24). When teams are this evenly matched, give the most infinitesimal of edges to the squad playing in its home venue. In this case, that’s the Wildcats, who escape with a one-run victory to improve to 2-0 at the regional.
Kentucky vs. Illinois odds in 2024 NCAA tournament
Odds courtesy of BetMGM. Odds will be updated as they become available.
Spread: N/A
Moneyline: N/A
Over/under: N/A
Kentucky baseball odds to reach 2024 College World Series BetMGM
Odds courtesy of BetMGM. Odds will be updated as they become available.
Kentucky: The Wildcats have the fifth-best odds at +1000 to win the College World Series, per BetMGM.
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Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
This is the first of several planned locations in NKY.
Shutterstock photo.
(Walton, Ky.) – Publix is now open in Walton.
Publix at Triple Crown Shopping Center on Richwood Road opened its doors today at 7:00 a.m.
The 55,701-square-foot facility features traditional services such as deli, produce, bakery, meat, seafood and pharmacy, while also offering special services like Publix Liquors, Publix Delivery, pharmacy drive-thru, catering, Pours (beer, coffee, smoothies), burritos, nachos, bowls, pizza and pasta, and specialty popcorn.
“We are excited to expand across the Bluegrass state with our first store in Northern Kentucky,” said Publix Media Relations Manager Jared Glover. “We look forward to our new customers experiencing the Publix difference and being active members of this vibrant community.”
The Florida-based grocer has announced other upcoming locations in Hebron, Independence, Florence/Union, and where Alexandria Pike meets the AA Highway.
RELATED: Publix Announces Plans to Open Hebron Store
It is officially state tournament time in Kentucky as the 2025 KHSAA boys basketball Sweet 16 tips off at Rupp Arena in Lexington this week.
The Kentucky boys basketball tournament begins with first-round matchups on Wednesday and Thursday. The quarterfinals will occur on Friday, and the semifinal and state championship showdowns will be on Saturday.
Here is the link to the KHSAA Sweet 16 bracket, as well as all of the first-round matchups for this week’s tournament.
Ashland Blazer vs. Calloway County
Bowling Green vs. Adair County
South Oldham vs. Danville Christian Academy
Jeffersontown vs. St. Xavier
North Laurel vs. Breathitt County
Lawrence County vs. Montgomery County
Daviess County vs. Great Crossing
Henderson County vs. Cooper
Playoff Pick ‘Em is a brand-new bracket prediction challenge for high school sports, where users compete to pick the most accurate bracket. The contest is free to play and is available nationwide for most sports on High School On SI. Enter today and pick your favorite teams to take home the title!
Think you know who will win each game? Log in or create a profile, then make your picks here.
To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app:
Download iPhone App | Download Android App
— Sam Brown | sam@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has officially signed the “Bitcoin Rights” bill into law, a move that solidifies protections for cryptocurrency users within the state. House Bill 701, which was introduced by Rep. Adam Bowling on Feb. 19, aims to ensure the right to self-custody of digital assets and to run a crypto node without fear of local discrimination.
The legislation, which garnered unanimous support in both the Kentucky House and Senate, prohibits any local zoning changes that could negatively affect crypto mining operations. Additionally, it outlines guidelines for operating a crypto node, exempts crypto mining from money transmitter licensing requirements, and clarifies that mining and staking are not considered securities offerings.
Simultaneously, Oklahoma’s Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act has advanced in the state legislature, passing the House of Representatives with a vote of 77 to 15. Introduced by Rep. Cody Maynard on Jan. 15, this bill is now pending approval from the Senate. If enacted, it would establish a reserve for Bitcoin, allowing the state to allocate up to 10% of its excess reserves into digital assets.
In Arizona, two strategic digital asset reserve bills have cleared the House Rules Committee and are set for a full vote, positioning the state as a leader in Bitcoin reserve legislation. Missouri is also evaluating a similar Bitcoin reserve bill through its Special Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs.
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