Tennessee vs. Kentucky Prediction, Pick & Odds: Top-10 Showdown in Lexington

The Kentucky Wildcats host the Tennessee Volunteers in a top-10 SEC clash, as we make the best Tennessee vs. Kentucky prediction based on the best college basketball odds.

On a day full of incredible college basketball matchups, Saturday's SEC showdown between No. 5 Tennessee and No. 10 Kentucky is one of the best. And oddsmakers are split on how this one will turn out.

The Wildcats are slim home favorites, even after losing to Florida in overtime on Wednesday. The Volunteers are also coming off a loss to South Carolina, their second loss to an unranked opponent in January.

Both teams are outscoring their opponents by more than 10 points per game. Will we see a high-scoring affair on Saturday?

Here is our best Tennessee vs. Kentucky prediction and our college basketball picks (odds via our best March Madness betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Tennessee vs. Kentucky prediction

Over 159 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Wildcats are the third-highest-scoring team in the nation this season. They’re averaging nearly 90 points per game, even though they’re averaging just 72 per game over their last three. In home games, the Wildcats are even better at scoring, averaging 92.5 points per game.

Because of how much they score, the Wildcats tend to give up a lot of points too. They’re allowing 77.2 points per game, which is ranked 295th in the nation. Opponents are shooting 41.9% against them this season.

The Volunteers have six players averaging over seven points per game, including Dalton Knecht who has scored more than 30 in four of his last five. As a team, they’re averaging the 49th-most points in the country this year, and they should improve upon that number against a defense that simply doesn’t do much to try to stop opponents.

One area of concern in this game is that the Volunteers rank second in the nation in opponent field goal percentage. While that could make it hard for the Wildcats to score during various stretches of action, this game being played in Lexington still gives a slight edge to the Wildcats’ style of play. One of these teams is going to score in the mid-80s. We’re betting both of them get there.

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Tennessee vs. Kentucky best odds

bet365 (-110)

Three of the five major sportsbooks have this total listed at 159. The two that have it listed aren’t offering better prices than -110, so there is no reason to take the extra half- point here.

Since we do believe that the Wildcats are being slightly undervalued at home, bet365 is the best place to wager if you want to parlay. They have the spread as Kentucky +1.5, which is a half-point better than the other two sportsbooks offering over 159.

Tennessee vs. Kentucky odds

The Wildcats are home favorites in this game which is a bit surprising. Even though the Volunteers are worthy of the spread, the public is all over the Wildcats, as 65% of wagers back the Wildcats to cover the spread which is between 1 and 1.5 at each major sportsbook.

The total opened at 159.5, and bettors haven’t picked one side over the other. At this moment, 53% of wagers are on the under. This has dropped the line to 159 at Caesars, DraftKings, and bet365. Without much support for either side, this number shouldn’t move much from where it is.

Tennessee vs. Kentucky game info

• When: Saturday, Feb, 3 at 8:30 p.m. ET
• Where: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
• How to watch: ESPN

Tennessee vs. Kentucky prediction made Saturday at 9:28 a.m. ET.

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