The Tennessee Volunteers proved they were among the elite programs in college basketball this season when they picked up a 76-65 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats back on January 6. Now, exactly one month later, Tennessee will look to beat Kentucky twice in the same season for the first time since 1999.
- Tennessee is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games against Kentucky.
- Kentucky is 24-8 SU in its last 32 games vs Tennessee.
- Tennessee is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games against teams with winning records.
When these two programs met one month ago, Tennessee was reeling, coming off back-to-back losses to open conference play. The Vols then found themselves in a hole coming out of halftime in that game only to rally, scoring 47 points in the second half. Forward Admiral Schofield had arguably his best game of the season for Tennessee, racking up 20 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four steals.
Since that game, Tennessee has gone 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS on the back of its awesome defense. The Vols have allowed an average of 62.1 points per game with opponents shooting just 40.3 percent from the floor in their last eight outings. The depth of scoring makes it nearly impossible to focus on any one player on the Tennessee squad but the Vols have had a bad tendency of starting slowly and needing explosive scoring bursts later in the game.
The Wildcats have not been their usual dominant selves and it has a lot to do with their inconsistencies with the ball. In Kentucky’s last six games – a span in which it has gone 3-3 SU – the team has averaged 81.3 points per game in the three wins while scoring just 64.0 in their losses. The Wildcats have a bad tendency to just jack up terrible shots with the young squad showing little discipline. That being said, when the shots are hitting for the freshman-laden group, they are deadly.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
The Kentucky Wildcats opened as 2.5-point favorites in this college basketball tilt over at Sportsbook but the number may be on the move. Watch for the Sportsbook OVER/UNDER total as well at Sportsbook.
Tennessee Volunteers vs Kentucky Wildcats Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Tennessee Volunteers will look to cover the spread vs the Kentucky Wildcats on Tuesday, as the Volunteers are 13-7 versus the spread this season, while the Wildcats are 10-13 ATS. Tennessee is 9-11 against the total, while Kentucky is 12-11 versus the total betting line.
The Wildcats sit at No. 161 in the current college hoops power poll here at OddsShark, while the Volunteers sit at No. 34 on the same chart.
Statistical Matchup
The game also pits Kentucky's No. 89-ranked offense, averaging 76.83 PPG, against a Tennessee defense that ranks No. 45 at 67.05 PPG. The Wildcats' field-goal percentage has averaged 46.79% so far, more than the Volunteers marksmen have achieved on the year, 45.33% per game.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The Volunteers blew out Mississippi on Saturday, running up a 20+ point victory in a 94-61 win at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Wildcats endured a 69-60 loss at the hands of the Tigers on Saturday, despite a 15-point effort from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at Mizzou Arena.
- Tennessee is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
- Tennessee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tennessee's last 7 games
- Tennessee is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
- Kentucky is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
- Kentucky is 15-5 SU in its last 20 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kentucky's last 6 games
- Kentucky is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Next Betting Matchups
Tennessee at Alabama, Saturday, February 10
Kentucky at Texas A&M, Saturday, February 10
