The Kentucky Wildcats (22-8) travel to face off against the Tennessee Volunteers (24-6) on Saturday, March 9th. This game will be played at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville and televised on CBS. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 4:00 ET.
Kentucky Wildcats vs Tennessee Volunteers
The Kentucky Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win
As the underdog, Kentucky has gone 4-2 this season. The Wildcats come into this game with a record of 22-8, and they have won four games in a row. They are 12-5 in Southeastern Conference play compared to 10-3 in non-conference games. On the road, Kentucky has gone 7-4, and their average scoring margin in these games is +5.5.
Over their last 10 road games, the Wildcats have gone 6-4. In their most recent game, they defeated Vanderbilt by a score of 93-77. Kentucky has been the underdog in six of their 30 games this season.
As the underdog this season, Kentucky has gone 5-1 against the spread. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Wildcats have an impressive 9-1 ATS record. On the road, their ATS mark is 6-5 this year and they are 2-1 ATS in their last three road games.
So far this season, the over/under record for Kentucky games is 22-8. Today’s over/under line of 166 is higher than the average over/under line in their games this year (158.4). Over their last three games, the over/under record is 3-0 and the average scoring total in those games is 187 points. For the season, 20 of their games have finished with more points than today’s OU line of 166.
The Tennessee Volunteers Are Coming Off A Win
Heading into their matchup with Kentucky, Tennessee has been dominant at home this season, going 15-1 with an average scoring margin of +20.6 points per game. Over their last 10 games at home, the Volunteers have gone 9-1.
Tennessee comes into the game with a 24-6 overall record and a 14-3 mark in Southeastern Conference play. They have won seven straight games, including their most recent game against South Carolina, 66-59.
As the favorite this season, Tennessee has gone 14-10-1 vs. the spread. In their last 10 games as the favorite, the Volunteers have an ATS record of 6-4. At home this year, Tennessee has an ATS mark of 10-5-1. Over their last three home games, the Volunteers are 3-0 ATS.
On the season, the over/under record for Tennessee is 16-14 and the average scoring total in their games is 147.3 points. Today’s over/under line of 166 is higher than the average OU line in their games this year (145.2). Over their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 and the average scoring total in those games is 151 points.
Kentucky Offense Breakdown
In their most recent game, the Wildcats’ offense tallied 93 points, consistent with their ongoing season average of 89.7 points per game. In terms of three-point shooting, the Wildcats offense has been good from outside, hitting 40% of their three-pointers on an average of 23.9 attempts per game. Their overall field goal percentage is currently 49%.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antonio Reeves (G) | 20.0 | 4.2 | 1.7 |
| Rob Dillingham (G) | 15.1 | 2.8 | 3.9 |
| Reed Sheppard (G) | 12.2 | 4.2 | 4.5 |
Tennessee Offense Breakdown
Against South Carolina, the Tennessee had a tough time putting up points compared to their season average of 80.2 points per game. They scored 66 points and posted a field goal percentage of 35.7% in the game. Leading the team in scoring is Dalton Knecht, who is averaging 20.7 heading into today’s matchup. Additionally, Jonas Aidoo also maintains a PPG average of 12.2 heading into game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dalton Knecht (G) | 20.7 | 4.8 | 1.8 |
| Jonas Aidoo (F) | 12.2 | 7.6 | 1.0 |
| Zakai Zeigler (G) | 11.4 | 2.8 | 5.9 |
Kentucky Team Defense
Facing Tennessee, Kentucky aims for a better defensive performance, given their current average of 79.1 points allowed per game (322nd). On average, opposing teams are hitting 8.2 threes per game vs. Tennessee. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 32.0%.
Tennessee Team Defense
The Volunteers’ defense is presently ranked 53rd nationally, allowing an average of 67.1 points per contest. Against South Carolina, the Volunteers’ defense gave up 59 points and did a good job not fouling. For the game, South Carolina only made 5 free-throws.
Wildcats vs Volunteers Trends
- When looking at their past five road matchups, Kentucky has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 85 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
- When looking at their past ten home matchups, Tennessee has an ATS record of 4-6 while averaging 80 per game. The team went 7-3 overall in these games.
- Through their last five games as the underdog, the Wildcats have an ATS record of 4-1 and a straight up mark of 4-1.
- As the betting favorite, the Volunteers have an ATS record of 3-0 in their last three games. In these matchups, their straight up record was 3-0.
Wildcats vs Volunteers Prediction
In this Volunteers vs. Volunteers matchup, our point-spread bet is on the Volunteers at -8.5. While we project the Volunteers to win 75-70, our recommendation is to bet on the Wildcats for the point-spread.
As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 166, and our model projects the Wildcats and Volunteers to reach a combined total of 145 points. Our bet is on taking the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:March 9, 2024 Kentucky Wildcats, Tennessee Volunteers