Score prediction for #9 Kentucky's exhibition vs. #1 Purdue

Will the Kentucky Wildcats be able to take down Purdue?

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope calls out to his team Friday, March 28, 2025, during the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The exhibition of the year is on deck as the #9 Kentucky Wildcats are getting ready to host the #1 Purdue Boilermakers in Rupp Arena. This is an opportunity for two of the best teams in college basketball to show what they have in what should be a high-scoring affair.

The Kentucky Wildcats will be playing this game without Jaland Lowe, more than likely, which will have an effect on the way this offense is going to function. The Wildcats behind Lowe have a lot of combo guards who have some experience running the one, so it will be interesting to see how the point guards play in this game.

The two guys who will more than likely run the point in this exhibition for the Wildcats are Denzel Aberdeen and Collin Chandler. Aberdeen played the one some last year for the National Champion Florida Gators, and Chandler played the one some last season for the Wildcats.

Kentucky guard Collin Chandler (5) hits a three-point basket during the first half of their second round NCAA men’ s basketball tournament game against Illinois Sunday, March 23, 2025 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Obviously, the bigs get a lot of the offense started for Kentucky, but the point guards still have a large role in the offense, so the play of Aberdeen and Chandler will have a large effect on this game.

Purdue has some of the best backcourt depth in all of college basketball, and that includes the projected Player of the Year in college basketball, Braden Smith. The Boilermakers also have star forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, who led them in scoring a year ago. The connection Smith and Kaufman-Renn have is unmatched, as Smith assisted TKR on 236 of his points a year ago.

Kentucky's elite defense is going to have to try and find a way to stop the nation's best offense that Purdue possesses. Kentucky will have an advantage when they are on offense, as Purdue's defense isn't all that good.

Knowing all of this information, let's take a stab at a score prediction a little over 24 hours before this game tips.

Oct 14, 2025; Birmingham, AL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope talks with the media during SEC Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

#9 Kentucky vs. #1 Purdue Exhibition Score Prediction

This game has a shot to be a higher-scoring game, knowing these are two elite offenses, but the Wildcats have an advantage on defense. Purdue has struggled in exhibition games over the last few years, so that is something to take into account.

If Jaland Lowe was playing in this game, I would take the Wildcats, but with him sidelined, I'll take Purdue to win this one 83-79. Even if the Wildcats do lose this game, they will pass the eyeball test, and it will be clear that two top teams in the nation were facing off.