The Tennessee Volunteers (15-5) travel to face off against the Kentucky Wildcats (15-5) on Saturday, February 3rd. This game will be played at Rupp Arena in Lexington and televised on ESPN. Kentucky is coming off a win in their previous game, while Tennessee is looking to get back on track from a loss to the South Carolina. Tip-off is set for 8:30 ET.
Tennessee Volunteers vs Kentucky Wildcats
The Tennessee Volunteers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Heading into tonight’s game against Kentucky, Tennessee is favored by 1.5 points. So far this season, the Volunteers have been favored in 17 of their 20 games, going 15-2 in those contests.
On the road, Tennessee has gone 4-4 this year, and they are currently on a two-game winning streak away from home. Overall, the Volunteers are 15-5, including a 10-3 non-conference record.
As the favorite, Tennessee has gone 8-8-1 vs. the spread this season. Their overall ATS mark is 8-11-1. On the road, the Volunteers are just 2-6 vs. the spread this year and they have gone 0-3 ATS in their last three road games.
Today’s over/under line of 161.5 is higher than the average over/under line in Tennessee’s games this season (142.2). So far, 16 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s OU line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 140 points.
The Kentucky Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win
At home this season, Kentucky has been dominant, going 11-2 and outscoring opponents by an average of 16.4 points per game. They have won five games in a row at home and are 8-2 in their last 10 at home.
Overall, Kentucky is 15-5, including a 5-2 record in Southeastern Conference play. They are coming off a 63-57 win over Arkansas and have gone 4-1 in their last five games at home.
As the underdog this season, Kentucky has a 3-1 record vs. the spread. At home, the Wildcats have an ATS mark of 8-5 this year and are 6-4 in their last 10 home games vs. the spread.
Today’s over/under line of 161.5 is higher than the average over/under line in Kentucky’s games this season (155.3). So far, 14 of their games have finished with more points than today’s OU line. In their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 and the average scoring total is 148 points.
Tennessee Offense Breakdown
Compared to their season average of 78.5 points per game, Tennessee struggled in their previous game. Against South Carolina, the Volunteers scored 59 points while finishing with a field goal percentage of 36.2%. Dalton Knecht was the leading scorer for the Volunteers, putting up 31 points. In addition, Santiago Vescovi contributed 10 points.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dalton Knecht (G) | 20.1 | 4.6 | 1.7 |
| Jonas Aidoo (F) | 11.6 | 7.3 | 1.1 |
| Zakai Zeigler (G) | 9.8 | 2.4 | 5.0 |
Kentucky Offense Breakdown
The Kentucky offense, in their latest game, managed to score just 63 points versus Arkansas. During the game, they attempted 20 three-point shots and had a field goal percentage of 36.5%. The top scorer for the Wildcats was Antonio Reeves with 24 points, while Reed Sheppard also chipped in with 14 points.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antonio Reeves (G) | 19.4 | 4.3 | 1.6 |
| Rob Dillingham (G) | 14.2 | 3.2 | 3.8 |
| Tre Mitchell (F) | 12.9 | 7.8 | 3.2 |
Tennessee Team Defense
Coming into today’s game, the Tennessee defense is giving up an average of 65.9 points per contest. The Tennessee defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 63 points and allowed South Carolina to connect on 5 threes.
Kentucky Team Defense
The Wildcats’ defense is presently ranked 277th nationally, allowing an average of 77.2 points per contest. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Kentucky’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 42.0% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 31.8% this season.
Volunteers vs Wildcats Trends
- Although Tennessee has a straight up record of 4-6 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 2-8. The team averaged 74 points per game in these games.
- Through their last three home games, Kentucky has an ATS record of just 0-3. However, their overall record was 1-2 while averaging 72 points per game.
- Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Wildcats have gone 7-3 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 6-4.
- As the betting favorite, the Volunteers have an ATS mark of just 4-6 in their last ten games. Tennessee posted a straight up mark of 8-2 in these matchups.
Volunteers vs Wildcats Prediction
Coming in as the underdogs at +1.5, we have the Wildcats as the way to go on the point spread. Not only do we have them covering, but our projections show they have a good one of winning this one straight-up, if you’re looking for a higher payout on the moneyline.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 161.5 and our model has the Volunteers and Wildcats finishing with a combined 144 points. Our pick is to take 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:February 3, 2024 Kentucky Wildcats, Tennessee Volunteers