The No. 25 Tennessee Volunteers take on the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday night in an SEC college basketball matchup. The game tips off at 8:30 p.m. EST in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Wildcats are listed as 1.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook with the total set at O/U 146.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction and pick for this SEC college basketball matchup.
Kentucky vs. Tennessee prediction, preview
Kentucky is playing some great basketball as of late. The Wildcats have won seven of their past eight games, including signature wins over Arkansas and this Tennessee team. They have been fantastic at home all season, sporting a 12-2 record at Rupp Arena. In his first season at the helm, Mark Pope took Kentucky to a Sweet 16. While Kentucky is unranked at the moment, it has a chance to make another run like that with the talent on the roster. Senior guard Otega Oweh is a serious threat, averaging 17 points per game. The Wildcats have proven themselves in conference play, with a 7-3 record against SEC opponents. This will be another big test as the Wildcats try to take down Tennessee for the second time this season.
Tennessee is having a great season, sporting a 6-3 record in SEC play. Since losing to Kentucky in the first meeting between these teams, the Volunteers have rattled off four straight wins. Tennessee is a well-coached, tough, defensive team. It is giving up the second-fewest three-pointers per game of any team in the SEC. The Volunteers rank 14th in the nation in defensive rating. They play slow, ranking 270th in the nation in adjusted tempo. Tennessee will try to slow the Wildcats down and make them play in the halfcourt, where they are not nearly as dangerous as they are out in space.
Kentucky vs. Tennessee pick
My best bet for this game is on the Tennessee moneyline. The Volunteers blew a big second-half lead the last time these teams faced off. Tennessee led by 11 points at halftime, led by as much as 13 in the second half and even led by six points with four-and-a-half minutes left. Kentucky played great in the final 10 minutes to close out the game, but Tennessee should get its revenge this time around. The Volunteers showed what they can do against Kentucky, slowing it down and holding it to just 31 first-half points. Tennessee has been getting great play out of the duo of Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Nate Ament on the offensive end. Those two should score enough to lead the Volunteers to a victory in Lexington.
