The Daily Sweat: Kentucky is becoming a championship contender

It's rare for Kentucky to spend too much time out of the spotlight.

Good or bad, the Wildcats are one of the few marquee teams in the sport. Yet, this season, after an opening loss to Duke and a couple other losses, UK hasn't been getting the same kind of attention it usually does.

That will change. Kentucky is coming off a blowout over a solid Tennessee team, which was a signal that the Wildcats can compete with anyone this season. They are 7.5-point favorites at BetMGM for a road game against Texas A&M on Wednesday night.

The Tennessee game was one of the best performances of the college basketball season. Kentucky was a modest 4.5-point favorite and won 107-79. The Volunteers are No. 15 in KenPom and were a preseason contender to win the SEC. Kentucky beat them like they were a middling Patriot League team.

The key to Kentucky is junior Oscar Tshiebwe. The West Virginia transfer is averaging 16.5 points, a whopping 14.9 rebounds and shooting 62.2 percent from the field. As Kentucky rises, he'll get more national player of the year buzz. TyTy Washington Jr., Kellan Grady and Sahvir Wheeler provide perimeter scoring around him.

After Kentucky was bad last season, John Calipari hit the transfer portal hard, and brought in some typical five-star recruits too. It's paying off. Kentucky is just No. 12 in the AP poll as it digs out from losses to Duke, Notre Dame and LSU, but that will change. The Wildcats are No. 5 in KenPom. Kentucky's +1800 odds to win the championship are eighth-highest, and it's not looking that bad.

Texas A&M has won eight in a row and 11 of 12, though it came against a soft schedule. If Kentucky can get a double-digit win on the road on Wednesday, it'll continue to move up the polls. The type of attention UK is used to getting will follow soon.

Here's the first look at the sports betting slate for Wednesday:

What else is on the college basketball schedule?

The best game on the schedule is LSU at Alabama. Alabama was supposed to be an SEC contender but its defense has taken a step back from last season. The Crimson Tide has lost three in a row. LSU's defense is elite and the Tigers are off to a 15-2 start this season. LSU is a 3.5-point underdog and while it's tough to win on the road in college basketball, that seems like too many points for an LSU team that has been the superior of the two.

There are a few other good matchups in the sport (Mississippi State at Florida is another nice SEC matchup) as we inch closer to March.

A big NBA slate

After just two games on Tuesday, the NBA is back with 13 games on Wednesday. One game that could be very good is the Memphis Grizzlies at the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks have not been dominant for much of the season, and they're coming off blowing a fourth-quarter lead against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. The Grizzlies are red hot and have the third-best record in the West at 33-15, but are still 6.5-point underdogs on Wednesday.

What else is on the schedule?

There are three NHL games, including a Maple Leafs-Rangers game on TNT, and a couple of English Premier League soccer matches, if basketball isn't your thing.

What's the best bet?

LSU is tempting, considering Alabama's struggles, but I'll take the Grizzlies. Memphis has won 12 of 13 and a young, hungry team like that should be up for a game against the defending champion Bucks. They should at least keep it close.