Kentucky vs. Tennessee Prediction, Picks & Odds: College Basketball Picks Today (Jan. 17)
Two struggling rivals look to right the ship, and I break down the SEC matchup with my Kentucky vs. Tennessee prediction. The early tip is set for noon ET from Food City Center in Knoxville, Tenn.
No. 24 Tennessee is a 5.5-point betting favorite over unranked Kentucky. Despite the Wildcats owning a three-game road winning streak in this series, I am laying the points with the Volunteers and fading one of the weakest Kentucky teams in recent memory.
🏀 Kentucky vs. Tennessee predictions
See our experts' college basketball picks based on the latest college basketball odds.
| Prediction | Best odds | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee -5.5 | -110 via DraftKings | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Under 147.5 | -110 via DraftKings | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Ja’Kobi Gillespie Over 16.5 points | -118 via FanDuel | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
💰 Kentucky vs. Tennessee best bet: Tennessee -5.5 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Check out all of our college basketball analysis and expert predictions this season.
Kentucky’s rotation will shorten with the injuries to Jayden Quaintance and Jaland Lowe. In addition, the Wildcats’ lone true road win was a one-point victory over the only winless team in conference play (LSU), and they had to fight back from an 18-point deficit.
This is Mark Pope’s second-worst shooting team in nine years as a head coach, while Tennessee allowed 60.9 points per game at home prior to Tuesday’s double-overtime win.
That defensive performance against the Aggies shouldn’t be understated, as Texas A&M averaged fewer than one point per possession despite entering as a top-25 shooting team.
Score prediction: Tennessee 76, Kentucky 68
🔥 Best Kentucky vs. Tennessee player prop: Ja’Kobi Gillespie Over 16.5 points (-118) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tennessee point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie has alternated going Over and staying Under this projected total in the last seven games, combining games with 23, 21, 34, and 18 points with outputs of 15, 14, and 12 in that span.
Gillespie leads all players in SEC play in percentage of his team’s minutes played (92.9%), and gets up 29% of the Volunteers’ shots (12th-most of any SEC player). He also makes his free throws at an 87% clip, which could be massive if the Wildcats are forced to foul late.
📊 Live Kentucky vs. Tennessee odds
📈 Kentucky vs. Tennessee betting trends
| Kentucky | Statistic | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| 11-6 | W-L record | 12-5 |
| 7-10 | ATS record | 6-11 |
| 7-10 | O/U record | 11-6 |
| 3-2 | Last 5 games | 3-2 |
📺 How to watch Kentucky vs. Tennessee
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 17
- Tipoff: 12:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Food City Center (Knoxville, Tenn.)
- TV: ESPN
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