Kentucky Wildcats vs Tennessee Volunteers Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Kentucky vs Tennessee NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Knoxville.

Kentucky vs Tennessee Prediction

Betting on today's Wildcats and Volunteers game? Catch the action at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville, TN, as the Volunteers hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN. The odds for this Southeastern conference game currently have Tennessee as the -8.5 point favorite with the over/under line sitting at 147.5 points.

Kentucky vs. Tennessee Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Kentucky Wildcats at Tennessee Volunteers
Where: Knoxville at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center
Date: Tuesday, January 28th
Betting Odds TENN -8.5, UK +270 | TENN -355 O/U 147.5

Wildcats Preview: Can Kentucky Deliver Being Underdogs on the Road?

Kentucky Wildcats Recent Game/Games

Kentucky’s season record now stands at 14-5 following a 74-69 road loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday. The Wildcats entered the game as 3-point favorites but failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 143, well below the O/U line of 165.5.

After trailing 41-27 at halftime, Kentucky made a push in the second half, outscoring Vanderbilt 42-33, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback.

Wildcats Offense Breakdown

In their last game, Kentucky put up 69 points, shooting 48.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 55.6%. They hit 39.1% from beyond the arc, going 9-for-23, and connected on 54.8% of their two-point attempts.

Otega Oweh led the way with 21 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 57.1% from the field despite missing all three of his three-point attempts. Jason Edwards added 18 points and 4 assists, hitting 50% from deep, while Ansley Almonor knocked down 4-of-5 threes, finishing with 12 points.

Wildcats Team Defense

Kentucky's defense gave up 74 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 43% from the field. They allowed 51% shooting from two-point range, as the other team made 17 of their 33 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Kentucky's opponents hit 12 of 33 threes, shooting 36%. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 11 times, where they made 4 free throws for 36%. Kentucky gave up 9 offensive rebounds.

Volunteers Preview: Can Tennessee Live Up to the Hype at Home?

Tennessee Volunteers Recent Game/Games

The Volunteers fell to 17-3 on the season after a narrow 53-51 loss to Auburn on Saturday. Tennessee, who entered the game as +6.5 point underdogs, managed to cover the spread in the defeat.

Trailing 22-20 at halftime, Tennessee scored 31 points in the second half but allowed the same number to Auburn. The game’s total points of 104 fell well short of the 141.5 O/U line.

Volunteers Offense Breakdown

In their recent game, Tennessee's offense struggled, scoring just 51 points on 31.5% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 35.2%, and they hit only 18.2% from beyond the arc, connecting on 4 of 22 attempts.

Johni Broome led the Volunteers with 16 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 36.8% overall. Zakai Zeigler added 14 points and 5 assists, though he missed all 6 of his three-point attempts, finishing with a 26.7% shooting percentage.

Volunteers Team Defense

Tennessee's defense was dominant, holding their opponent to just 53 points on 31% shooting from the field. They limited two-point opportunities, with the other team making only 15 of 38 attempts for 39%.

From beyond the arc, Tennessee's defense was even more effective, allowing just 3 made threes on 20 attempts, a 15% success rate. They sent their opponent to the line 19 times, where they converted 14 free throws, shooting 73%. Tennessee also gave up 15 offensive rebounds.

Wildcats vs Volunteers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last ten games away from home, the Wildcats have a straight up record of 5-5 while going 5-5 vs. the spread. The team averaged 78 points per game in this stretch.
In their last five games at home, the Volunteers have a straight up record of 2-3 while going 1-3-1 vs. the spread. The team averaged 61 points per game in this stretch.
Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Kentucky has an ATS mark of 9-1 while going 8-2 straight up.
The Volunteers have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 4-1 straight up and 3-2 against the spread.