ESPN’s Football Power Index updated its predictions for the Week 9 slate of games, including the matchup between Auburn and Kentucky.

The FPI gives the Wildcats a narrow advantage with a 51.4% chance to come out on top.

While there are plenty of ranked matchups on the docket this week, this matchup of struggling SEC squads may be the game with the most desperation to win.

By Mark Stoops’ usual standards in Lexington, this has been a rough year for Kentucky. The Wildcats were humbled in a Week 2 loss to South Carolina before narrowly falling to Georgia at home. They then comfortably took down Ohio before pulling off a major upset over Ole Miss in Oxford.

But, back-to-back losses to Vanderbilt and Florida, the second of which came by 28 points, has fans questioning if the ‘Cats can even reach a bowl game this season.

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If they are to do so, they’ll have to take down an Auburn team that is reeling even more than they are. Hugh Freeze’s bunch had a fair amount of hype behind them prior to the season, but a 2-3 mark through a five-game homestand to start the campaign dashed those hopes. Those three losses came at the hands of winless ACC team Cal, an Oklahoma squad whose only conference win is over Auburn and Arkansas.

Following that homestand, the Tigers have now had to spend the entire month of October on the road. A trip to Athens resulted in a 31-13 loss, and despite holding a 17-3 lead over Missouri in the second half Saturday, Freeze & Co. could not hang on to their advantage.

The Tigers and Wildcats kick off at 7:45 ET on the SEC Network.