The Kentucky Wildcats (6-3, 4-3 SEC) travel south to Vanderbilt Stadium for a tilt with the Vanderbilt Commodores (2-7, 0-5) Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt odds and lines, and make our expert college football picks, predictions and bets
Once with CFP aspirations, Kentucky has lost three straight games starting with the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs. The Wildcats followed that up with a 14-point defeat at Mississippi State and a 3-point loss to Tennessee.
Penn State transfer QB Will Levis and the Wildcats will look to get back on track in what should be an easy win.
Vanderbilt has won just two games this season, most recently five weeks ago when they picked up a 30-28 victory against Connecticut. The Commodores were throttled 45-6 by Mississippi State two weeks ago and enter this one as heavy underdogs.
Rankings courtesy of the AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Kentucky at Vanderbilt odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 11 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Kentucky -1400 (bet $1400 to win $100) | Vanderbilt +750 (bet $100 to win $750)
- Against the spread (ATS): Kentucky -21.5 (-105) | Vanderbilt +21.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 52.5 (O: -112 | U: -108)
PLAY: Free, daily sports pick’em contests. Play now!
Kentucky at Vanderbilt odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Kentucky 38, Vanderbilt 10
Money line
PASS on the money line. Vanderbilt doesn’t have a good win this season, and Kentucky doesn’t provide enough value.
Kentucky started 6-0 with wins over Florida and LSU, but there’s no reason to think they won’t come out on top despite its recent struggles. However, the value isn’t there on either side of this line.
Against the spread
BET to KENTUCKY -21.5 (-105) as Vanderbilt just hasn’t shown consistency against quality SEC opponents. The Commodores were destroyed by Mississippi State just two weeks ago and lost 62-0 to Georgia earlier in the season.
Kentucky is one of just three teams that have ended within three scores of Georgia. The Wildcats have a dynamic run game that averages over 180 yards per game and should be able to run all over the Commodores.
Combine the success of Kentucky this season and the weaknesses Vanderbilt has shown, and you should get a game that’s not within three scores.
Over/Under
“LEAN” to the UNDER 52.5 (-108) as Kentucky’s offense just hasn’t been as consistent as I’d like to see. The Wildcats haven’t topped 20 points per game in four of their last six.
Levis and WR Wan’Dale Robinson are a productive duo and should score, but at what level is the question. Vanderbilt is also inconsistent — at 14.9 points per game, it’s the only team in the SEC averaging under 20 points per game.
With Kentucky having to carry the load of the scoring for this Over to hit, this is a bet against their offense going parabolic.
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow @nathanbeighle_ on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / USC / Wisconsin / College Football News
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]