Kentucky vs Tennessee prediction, game preview, how to watch. Week 9, Saturday, October 29
Kentucky vs Tennessee How To Watch
Date: Saturday, October 29
Game Time: 7:00 ET
Venue: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Kentucky (5-2), Tennessee (7-0)
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Kentucky vs Tennessee Game Preview
Why Kentucky Will Win
The Wildcats might have the right mix and blend to slow the machine down.
Kentucky normally isn’t great in the time of possession battle, but it’s holding the ball for close to 35 minutes per game this year, it’s decent at moving the chains, and the defense is keeping high-powered passing games from going off.
There isn’t any pass rush, but the D kept Mississippi State to just over 200 passing yards, Ole Miss is the only other attack to throw for two bills, and now it gets a Tennessee team that works fast, scores fast, is fast, but might get bogged down a bit.
And then there’s the UK passing attack. Will Levis should do whatever he wants against a Tennessee secondary that’s getting chewed up by everyone – UT Martin hit the nation’s second-worst pass defense for 316 yards last week.
However …
Why Tennessee Will Win
Yeah, so Tennessee allows 330 passing yards per game. That’s the cost of doing business for a team with Hendon Hooker and the nation’s most dangerous offense.
It’s not just Hooker, WR Jalin Hyatt, and the high-powered passing game that’s second in the country in efficiency behind Ohio State. The running game is working just fine, too, to balance it out and keep the UK defense on its heels a bit.
Yeah, Kentucky will grind this down, and it’ll seem like the offense is on the field for 40 minutes – that’s because it will be – but Hooker can hit in a flash, the Vol defense should be able to take the ball away twice, and it can crank up the big plays the other side can’t.
For all of Tennessee’s problems on D, it’s solid in the red zone and it’s not bad on third downs. Kentucky can’t come up with empty trips at the end of its grinding drives.
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What’s Going To Happen
Kentucky is a problem.
Everyone will be focusing on what’s next with Tennessee’s massive date against Georgia, but UK will bring something a little different with its style. It’ll be enough to hang around and make everyone freak out a bit, but …
The lack of a Wildcat pass rush will be an issue.
Hooker is deadly enough when he’s in a groove, but give him time to let the downfield plays to develop and forget it.
It’s going to be a 60-minute fight, but the Vols will get out alive with two good fourth quarter scoring drives.
And then it’ll be on to Athens.
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Kentucky vs Tennessee Prediction, Line
Tennessee 30, Kentucky 26
Line: Tennessee -12.5, o/u: 63.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
Kentucky vs Tennessee Must See Rating (out of 5): 4
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