#12 Kentucky vs #8 Tennessee: NCAA Basketball Odds & Best Bets (1/28)

Here we are again on Super Tuesday discussing a couple of Top 15 SEC teams as the #8 Tennessee Volunteers host the #12 Kentucky Wildcats in Knoxville this evening. This is the first meeting between these two teams who will see each other again in exactly two weeks at Rupp Arena, and both are looking to get back on the horse.

Tennessee is coming off a very tough loss to Auburn on the road, with things not getting any easier as they host the Gators on Saturday. However being at home certainly helps, and the Wildcats will be missing a veteran guard tonight.

Lamont Butler is out (undisclosed) for Kentucky tonight. He is Kentucky’s 2nd leading scorer with 13.2 points per game, leads the Wildcats in assists and steals, averaging 4.8 and 1.8 per contest, and is simply an experienced presence for this offense. Kerr Kriisa will step up and likely handle the ball plenty tonight but forward Andrew Carr is also questionable after sitting out against Vanderbilt. Can a beat up Kentucky team pull off this upset on the road?

#12 Kentucky Wildcats vs #8 Tennessee Volunteers: Top 10 Showdown

Matchup Information – Kentucky vs Tennessee

• Venue & Location: Food City Center (Knoxville, TN)
• Date: Tuesday, January 28th, 2025
• Tip Off: 7:00pm Eastern
• Broadcast: ESPN

Betting Odds

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Spread

• Kentucky +10 (-108)
• Tennessee -10 (-112)

Money Line

• Kentucky +420
• Tennessee -525

Total

• Over 147.5 (-110)
• Under 147.5 (-110)

Pope Leads Wildcats into Knoxville

Tennessee is coming into this game extremely pissed off. They melted down at the end on the road against Auburn, there were some questionable calls, but ultimately they lost a game they should’ve stolen from the top team in the nation. Now you get a chance to take down a high-flying Kentucky offense that will be missing a couple studs.

Assuming Andrew Carr is out, the Wildcats will be missing two double digit scorers who average 26+ minutes each. Carr is no slouch elsewhere, contributing 5.6 boards and 2.3 assists while shooting 54% from the field and nearly 80% from the stripe. Kentucky will have a lot of production to make up for in this game, but I still think they can cover the 10.

I lean this way because I see the Volunteers slowing things down as much as they can. The Wildcats rank 30th in possessions per game, dropping off to 71st away from Rupp Arena. Their offense is plenty good, but they don’t shoot as well on the road and they fail to force very many turnovers. To me, that translate to Tennessee having as much time as possible on offense, and I bet they intend to use the entire shot clock each trip down the court.

#12 Kentucky Wildcats vs #8 Tennessee Volunteers Best Bets

Kentucky vs Tennessee Prediction: Tennessee Wins, Kentucky Covers, Under 147.5

Best Bets: UK/Tenn Under 147.5 (-110) BetOnline

Tennessee is coming off a loss and is one of the slowest tempo teams in the country. The Volunteers are 326th in possessions per game, and they are rock solid defensively, especially at home. Overall, the Vols rank 2nd in defensive efficiency while leading the nation in eFG% and 3P% defense. They also rank Top 20 in FT Rate, limiting their opponent’s chances at the charity stripe. Kentucky is an offense that thrives from downtown and at the free throw line, so they may have met their match tonight.

At home specifically, Tennessee does a great job of limiting offensive rebounds (65th), grabbing their own (7th), and forcing turnovers (45th). Without Butler on the floor, ball security could be an issues for the Wildcats in this road environment. In road games this year, Kentucky drops from 16th to 260th in the country in turnovers and they are 1-3 in true road contests.

Last year, the Wildcats were able to beat Tennessee on their own floor in early March, so I expect the home team to have some extra fire tonight.

Give me the Vols to disrupt the Kentucky offense and win this low scoring game on the defensive end.

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