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

Philip Wood

Last Updated: February 3, 2024 7:49 PM EST • 2 min 40 sec read.

Dalton Knecht #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates as we look at the latest 2024 SEC Tournament odds.
Dalton Knecht #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates his three point basket against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first half. Photo by Eakin Howard via AFP.

Two top-10 teams battle in an SEC clash Saturday between the Kentucky Wildcats and Tennessee Volunteers, as we make the best Tennessee vs. Kentucky prediction based on the best college basketball odds.

We've already seen two top-10 matchups on a loaded Saturday for college basketball fans. We'll be treated to a third when SEC rivals Tennessee (No. 5) and Kentucky (No. 10) face off in a showdown between contenders by the latest March Madness odds.

The Wildcats (-1) are slim home favorites to beat the Volunteers, even after losing to Florida in overtime on Wednesday. Tennessee is also coming off a loss to South Carolina, its second defeat against 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 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: -110 via bet365

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)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsbet365
159159.5159.5159159
-110-114-110-110-110

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

Tennessee vs. Kentucky odds analysis

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.

Here are our best March Madness betting sites:

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Written By:
Philip Wood
Phil has covered sports betting since 2016, and he has been with SportsBook Review since 2022. He previously hosted the College Football Pick 'Em podcast for CanesInsight.com. He is always looking for value, especially on lines that just seem too good to be true. His belief is that if a line doesn't make sense just assume oddsmakers know something you don't. He also loves in-season futures. There is so much value to be had as the public overreacts weekly. Bettors tend to forget just how long NFL and college football seasons are. After all, the Green Bay Packers were 2-5 in 2023 and they made it to the Divisional Round. When deciding where to bet, it comes down to value over everything. +100 is always better than -110. An alumnus of The U, Phil always holds out hope that the next head coach will be the one who turns the football program around. He is also a diehard Detroit Lions fan and is willing to forgive Dan Campbell for forgetting that a kicker can be useful.