[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]
The Kentucky Wildcats (22-8, 12-5) and Tennessee Volunteers (24-6, 14-3 SEC) meet Saturday at the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET (CBS). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Kentucky vs. Tennessee odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
The Wildcats enter on a 4-game winning streak, while posting a 4-3 against the spread (ATS) mark in the past 7 outings. The Over has cashed in each of the past 4 games, with Kentucky going for at least 91 points in the Over streak.
The Volunteers have won and covered 4 in a row, while going 8-2 ATS in the past 10 outings. The Under has cashed in 5 of the past 6 outings for Tennessee.
These teams last met Feb. 3 in Lexington with the Vols posting a 103-92 win as 1.5-point underdogs as the Over (158.5) comfortably connected. Kentucky won last season’s visit to Knoxville as an 11-point underdog Jan. 14, 2023, 63-56 as the Under (131.5) cashed.
Kentucky is No. 13 and Tennessee is No. 4 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+
Kentucky at Tennessee odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 3:34 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Kentucky +275 (bet $100 to win $275) | Tennessee -350 (bet $350 to win $100)
- Against the spread: Kentucky +7.5 (-102) | Tennessee -7.5 (-120)
- Over/Under (O/U): 167.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3012″ ]
Kentucky at Tennessee picks and predictions
Prediction
Tennessee 93, Kentucky 88
Moneyline
Tennessee (-350) will cost 3½ times the potential return, and that’s way too risky in a rivalry game between 2 high-octane offenses and ranked teams.
Kentucky (+275) is a tempting play for the chance to nearly multiply up by 3 times, especially since it won in Knoxville last season. However, Tennessee has won 15 of 16 games at Thompson-Boling this season, and the Vols aren’t likely to be tripped up again.
PASS.
Against the spread
KENTUCKY +7.5 (-102) is a solid play catching nearly 4 buckets. The Wildcats have been on fire on offense, but covering against Tennessee won’t be easy. The Vols have covered 4 in a row.
The Wildcats have covered 4 of the past 5 games on the road, while going 5-1 ATS as underdogs this season. Kentucky has won 4 of those 6 games as a dog outright, too.
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Over/Under
OVER 167.5 (-105) is a giant number, but with the way these teams have performed offensively, it might not be nearly high enough. The last time these teams met, we had a 195 combined points (Feb. 3).
Kentucky is averaging 103.0 PPG across the past 4 outings, all Over results, while Big Blue has allowed 89 or more points in 3 of those contests.
Tennessee is actually on an Under run lately, going low in 5 of the past 6 games. But the offense is good for 81 or more points in 3 of the past 4 outings, and 7 of the past 10 contests.
[gambcom-standard rankid=”5″ ]
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin /
College Sports Wire: Men’s hoops / Women’s hoops / High School
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1667]