The Kentucky Wildcats take on the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville, TN. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Tennessee is favored by 10.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -550. The total is set at 147 points.
Here are my Kentucky vs. Tennessee predictions and college basketball picks for January 28, 2025.
Kentucky vs Tennessee Odds, Lines
| Kentucky Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+10.5 -110 | 147 -110 / -110 | +400 |
| Tennessee Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-10.5 -110 | 147 -110 / -110 | -550 |
- Kentucky vs Tennessee spread: Tennessee -10.5
- Kentucky vs Tennessee over/under: 147 points
- Kentucky vs Tennessee moneyline: Tennessee -550, Kentucky +400
- Kentucky vs Tennessee best bet: Tennessee -8.5
My Kentucky vs Tennessee best bet is on the Vols spread, with the best odds currently available at BetRivers. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
My Kentucky vs Tennessee College Basketball Betting Preview
Each night, it feels like we have a dynamite top-25 matchup on the docket, and usually, it's an SEC clash. On Tuesday night, the Kentucky Wildcats travel to Knoxville, Tennessee, to take on the Volunteers.
The Cats are coming off a tough defeat against Vanderbilt. Meanwhile, the Vols had a grueling matchup against Auburn and lost by two points.
It's an intriguing matchup for both teams, considering both are overrated by the market. Tennessee is the No. 1 team in adjusted defensive efficiency, boasting sparkling top-five rankings in opposing field goal and 3-point percentages.
The Vols love to grind the game down and lean on their defense. They also have an extremely thin rotation, which is another key reason they like to slow the tempo to a crawl.
The Cats are the opposite in terms of pace, ranking inside the top 75 in adjusted tempo. Mark Pope's team is the king of running and gunning on offense and shooting a ton.
The Cats are hitting 38% from deep and rank fifth in adjusted offensive efficiency.
The offensive edge goes to the Cats, but I think the Vols' defense is elite enough to contain any team in the country. We saw their sensational effort against the Tigers on Saturday, and I think this is a golden opportunity for them to bounce back at home.
I also like the Vols' offensive matchup, especially against a suspect Kentucky defense. This team has been torched multiple times throughout the regular season, mainly due to its inability to force turnovers.
The Cats are 335th in defensive turnovers forced, and they've been exposed inside the arc. They rank outside the top 200 in opposing 2-point percentage, and the metrics suggest their defense is due for more negative regression moving forward.
Both units struggle to rebound the basketball and avoid sending opponents to the foul line too often. That bodes extremely well for an aggressive Vols defense that should take advantage of the Cats' inability to draw trips to the charity stripe.
I'm not exceptionally high on either of these teams, as there are too many holes for both squads to take them seriously as contenders. However, the situational spot lines up nicely for the Vols at home.
Their defense should suffocate the Cats throughout the evening, and I expect them to slow the pace down to play to their strengths.
A replicated effort from the Vols on Tuesday night — combined with the home crowd — should work nicely in their favor.
Pick: Tennessee -8.5
