Alabama Crimson Tide vs Kentucky Wildcats Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 09/12/2026

Game Time: 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, September 12, 2026

Venue:  Kroger Field, Lexington, KY

Where to Watch:  ABC, Disney+

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Alabama -10.5, Kentucky +10.5; Over/Under:  48.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Alabama -10.5, Kentucky +10.5; Over/Under:  49.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Alabama -10.5, Kentucky +10.5; Over/Under:  49.5 points

Alabama Crimson Tide:  1-0 (0-0) (1st place, SEC)

Kentucky Wildcats:  1-0 (0-0) (1st place, SEC)

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Alabama Crimson Tide:  won their last game at home against the East Carolina Pirates 48-10.

Kentucky Wildcats:  won their last game at home against the Youngstown State Penguins 45-13.

Alabama is entering this game with a 1-0 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their conference games too. They are 1-0 in their home games, 0-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against East Carolina 48-10. Keelon Russell was the starting QB and he completed 18/30 passes for 256 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Keelon Russell led the team in rushing yards with 86 and 1 TD. Ryan Coleman-Williams led the receivers with 130 receiving yards on 5 receptions. Yhonzae Pierre, Dijon Lee Jr., and Bray Hubbard each led the defense in that game with 3 tackles while Yhonzae Pierre, Fatutoa Henry, and Terrance Green each led the defense in sacks with 1. Yhonzae Pierre came away with the only interception for them in that one.

 

 

 

Kentucky is entering this game with a 1-0 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their conference games too. They are 1-0 in their home games, 0-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against Youngstown State 45-13. Kenny Minchey was the starting QB and he completed 18/27 passes for 301 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Jason Patterson led the team in rushing yards with 78. Kenny Darby led the receivers with 74 receiving yards on 3 receptions and 1 TD. Jordan Castell and Grant Godfrey each led the defense in that game with 7 tackles while Ahmad Breaux and Devin Smith each led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.

The current betting odds have Alabama listed as a 10.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Alabama has a 1-0 record overall this season after beating up on a weaker team in their season opener. They had a bit of a slow start in that one, but they got rolling by the 2nd half and ended with a 48-10 win over East Carolina. They weren't really challenged in that one, but it was a good game for everyone to get on the same page. Alabama had a terrible end to the season last year with the way they lost in the CFP, but they were still one of the best teams in the SEC and will be looking to stay at the top of the conference. DeBoer is still looking to prove himself as the successor to Nick Saban and he did a really good job with Washington before coming to Alabama, so they are heading in the right direction. They won't be overlooking this early conference game either after opening last season with a loss to Florida State on the road. Meanwhile, Kentucky has a 1-0 record overall this season and they beat up on a team from the FCS. They are coming off a 45-13 win over Youngstown State and didn't really get challenged much. There has been a lot of changes at Kentucky for this season too, now with a new head coach and new QB, so they have a lot of moving pieces that still need to get on the same page. Kentucky should improve with this new head coach, but they are going to need to some time to put everything together and they still aren't going to be a power at the top of the SEC like Alabama. Alabama still has a lot more talent to work with and they will be looking to make a statement on the road here and show that they haven't gone anywhere as one of the best programs in the nation. The best way to place a bet here is on Alabama to cover the spread in this game. 

Alabama Kentucky Prediction:  Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, September 12, 2026 (3:30 pm ET start time) is Alabama 35 Kentucky 17.

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Alabama Crimson Tide: 3-6 ATS as a road favorite. 4-8 ATS off a home win. 5-8 ATS after playing a game at home. 9-3 OVER in the first half of the season. 5-3 OVER after scoring 37 points or more last game.

Kentucky Wildcats: 5-1 ATS as an underdog of 10.5 to 21 points. 5-2 ATS after allowing 14 points or less last game. 6-3 OVER when the total is between 49.5 and 56. 9-5 OVER after playing a game at home.

Alabama Crimson Tide:  N. Rogers (WR) Questionable - Leg. A. Dear (RB) Questionable - Leg.

Kentucky Wildcats:  J. Barnes (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. T. Mizell (RB) Out - Undisclosed.

“Yeah, he went out there, made some contested catches too. You know we’re gonna keep feeding him. He’s a relentless worker, and he’s gonna keep getting the ball.” - Kalen DeBoer after his team’s win against ECU in their last game. 

"Just a little recap after this past Saturday, (we) came out healthy, which is good. I'm expecting us to be at full-strength for this game, which is really exciting as well for us as a team." - Will Stein after his team’s win against YSU in their last game. 

WR Coleman-Williams, Ryan

WR Scott, Rico

WR Brooks, Lotzeir

TE Edwards, Kaleb

TE Pritchett, Marshall

QB Russell, Keelon

RB Hill, Daniel 

WR Miller, DJ

WR Anderson, Nic

WR Carr, Shane

TE Rodriguez, Willie

QB Minchey, Kenny

RB Baxter, CJ

Passing: Keelon Russell (256)

Rushing: Keelon Russell (86)

Receiving: Ryan Coleman-Williams (130)

Touchdowns: Daniel Hill (2)

Passing: Kenny Minchey (301)

Rushing: Jason Patterson (78)

Receiving: Kenny Darby (74)

Touchdowns: CJ Baxter (2)

Coaches:

Alabama Crimson Tide: Kalen DeBoer (3rd season)

Kentucky Wildcats: Will Stein (1st season)