Kentucky Wildcats vs Tennessee Volunteers Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 01/28/2025

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Venue:  Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center, Knoxville, TN

Where to Watch:  ESPN

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Kentucky +8.5, Tennessee -8.5; Over/Under:  147.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Kentucky +8.5, Tennessee -8.5; Over/Under:  147.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Kentucky +8.5, Tennessee -8.5; Over/Under:  147.5 points

Kentucky Wildcats:  14-5 (3-3) (10th place, SEC)

Tennessee Volunteers:  17-3 (4-3) (5th place, SEC)

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Kentucky Wildcats:  2-3  last 5

Tennessee Volunteers:  3-2  last 5

Kentucky is entering this game with a 14-5 record overall, a 3-3 record in conference games, and they are 1-3 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Vanderbilt Commodores in their last game. Otega Oweh led the team in points per game in that game with 21 while Ansley Almonor was next on the team with 12. Amari Williams led the team in assists with 4 in that game while Otega Oweh led the team in rebounds with 12. They were 48.1% from the field, 39.1% from 3-point range, and 61.5% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 88.1 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 76 PPG against them. Kentucky has an ATS record of 9-10 this season and their O/U record is 10-9.

Tennessee is entering this game with a 17-3 record overall, a 4-3 conference record, and they are 11-0 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Auburn Tigers in their last game. Zakai Zeigler led the team in points in that game with 14 while Chaz Lanier was next on the team with 10. Zakai Zeigler led the team in assists with 5 in that game while Felix Okpara led the team in rebounds with 9. They were 31.5% from the field, 18.2% from 3-point range, and 81.3% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 75.1 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 58.4 PPG against them. Tennessee has an ATS record of 13-7 this season and their O/U record is 7-13.

The current betting odds have Tennessee listed as an 8.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Tennessee has looked really good in their games this season with their 17-3 record overall and their 4-3 conference record which has them right near the top of the SEC. They have looked great on their home court too with their 11-0 home record. Meanwhile, Kentucky has looked really good in their games this season with their 14-5 record overall, but their 3-3 conference record has them right in the middle of the SEC. Kentucky is still ranked inside the top 25 as they do have a really good team and play in the SEC which is a really deep conference this year, but they haven't looked good in road games so far with their 1-3 road record. They have been struggling lately too, going 2-3 in their last 5 games, and they are coming off a road loss to Vandy in their last one. Kentucky has some good wins this season, but they have also taken some bad losses against weaker teams so this is going to be tough for them on the road against one of the best teams in the nation. Tennessee is also coming off a loss in their last one and they will be looking to bounce back after a tight 2 point loss on the road against Auburn, the best team in the nation at the moment. Tennessee also has one of the best defenses in the country and it showed in that game against Auburn, holding a great Auburn offense to just 53 points on the road. That defense is going to bring their best effort again for another ranked team here at home, and Tennessee is going to be focused on bouncing back with the way Kentucky has been struggling lately. The best way to place a bet here is on Tennessee to cover the spread in this game. 

Kentucky Tennessee Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Tuesday, January 28, 2025 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Tennessee 73 Kentucky 60.

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Kentucky Wildcats: 8-2 ATS as a road underdog or pick. 13-5 ATS off an upset loss as a favorite. 3-0 ATS after 2 or more consecutive losses. 7-1 OVER off a road loss. 17-5 OVER after playing a road game. 21-11 OVER versus good rebounding teams - outrebounding opponents by 4+ per game.

Tennessee Volunteers: 0-4 ATS after scoring 55 points or less. 16-22 ATS when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 80%). 15-22 1H ATS when the total is 140 to 149.5. 8-3 OVER off a road loss. 6-3 OVER off a road loss against a conference rival. 

Kentucky Wildcats:  A. Carr (F) Questionable - Back. K. Kriisa (G) Out - Foot.

Tennessee Volunteers:  J. Estrella (F) Out - Foot.

"There are some numbers that are concerning to us. Clearly the free throw rate is a real problem for us right now. Two-point field goal percentage is a real problem for us. Rim-shot percentage is a real problem for us. Rim-shot selection is actually pretty good for us, but it's offset because we're fouling. You don't wave a magic wand and all of a sudden fix some of this, but we're gonna make progress. We'll make progress throughout the season. I feel like we have some pretty clear spaces to attack right now, some really clear, specific words that we're using and themes that we're chasing, and I think we'll get better. Our guys are pretty good at getting better." - Mark Pope on his team this season. 

“I should be positive. They fought hard all night long.” - Rick Barnes after his team’s loss against Auburn in their last game. 

L. Butler 

A. Carr 

O. Oweh 

J. Robinson 

A. Williams

C. Lanier 

J. Mashack 

I. Milicic 

F. Okpara 

Z. Zeigler

PPG: O. Oweh (15.9)

APG: L. Butler (4.8)

Reb/G: A. Williams (8.6)

PPG: C. Lanier (18.4)

APG: Z. Zeigler (7.6)

Reb/G: I. Milicic (8.4)

Coaches:

Kentucky Wildcats: Mark Pope (1st season)

Tennessee Volunteers: Rick Barnes (10th season)