Tennessee vs Kentucky Odds, Lines & Predictions (Feb. 18)
- The Tennessee Volunteers take on the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday, February 18th
- After taking down No. 1 Alabama, the Vols have opened as 2-point favorites in this one
- Check out all the Tennessee vs Kentucky odds below, as well as our prediction
Following a disappointing stretch that saw them drop three of four games, the Tennessee Volunteers (20-6, 14-12 ATS) are coming off their biggest victory of the year, upsetting the top ranked team in the country, Alabama,68-59.
On Saturday, February 18th, the Volunteers face another tough test within the conference, when they go up against the Kentucky Wildcats (17-9, 11-14-1 ATS) at Rupp Arena. Tipoff is set to go for 1pm ET with Tennessee plugged as 2-point road favorites in the college basketball odds.
For the rest of the Tennessee vs Kentucky odds in this massive SEC clash, see the table below, while we analyze this game to give you our best bet.
Tennessee vs Kentucky Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Volunteers | -2.0 (-110) | -130 | O 135.5 (-110) |
| Kentucky Wildcats | +2.0 (-110) | +110 | U 135.5 (-110) |
Odds as of February 17th from DraftKings. Claim the DraftKings promo code to bet on this game.
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Having won 12 of 15 games at home so far this season, it’s not often Kentucky have been underdogs when playing hosts to the competition. With moneyline odds of +110, the Wildcats have an implied win probability of 47.62%, while the Vols probability is 56.52% to capture their second game in a row.
Volunteers Coming Off Win Over Alabama
Things appeared to be falling apart as Tennessee was getting set for a date with Alabama just a few days ago. Going up against the top team in the country, it looked like the Vols would suffer their fourth loss in five games. Instead, they put the shackles on Alabama in a 68-59 victory.
Down goes No. 1!
Stifling defense and clutch scoring down the stretch lifted No. 10 @Vol_Hoops to a 68-59 win over No. 1 Alabama on Wednesday night.https://t.co/xnLMj5VMH4
— Tennessee Athletics (@Vol_Sports) February 16, 2023
What made things even more impressive was that they scored the upset, despite missing two key contributors.
Josiah-Jordan James and Julian Phillips, who both average over 20 minutes per game, sat out with injuries and will be game-time decisions against Kentucky, Vols coach Rick Barnes said Friday.
In their absence, Jahmai Mashack stepped up, playing 27 minutes of elite defense. He spent most of it guarding Alabama star Brandon Miller, who scored only 15 points on 11 shots. Miller entered that game averaging 18.8 points.
Defensive play is the calling card of this Tennessee squad. According to KenPom, they are the best in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency and proved they’re deserving of that status against Alabama. Barnes squad held the Crimson Tide to just 59 points, 24.4 below their season average.
Wildcats Hitting the Over Regularly
Consistency has been missing in the Wildcats game when looking at the win-loss column over the last few weeks, but they have been a solid pick to hit the over during the last month. The Wildcats own the 16th-best adjusted offensive efficiency in the nation, per KenPom, and have gone over the betting total in eight of their last nine.
On the season, Kentucky has hit the over in 17 of 26 games, a 65.4% success rate when betting on a lot of points. One of the few times they went under in the month of January, was against their opponent on Saturday, the Volunteers, although they did win 63-56 in that matchup on the road.
Tennessee vs Kentucky Recent Results
| Date | Home-Away | Spread | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01/14/2023 | TENN 56 – UK 63 | UK | Under |
| 03/12/2022 | TENN 69 – UK 62 | TENN | Under |
| 02/15/2022 | TENN 76 – UK 63 | TENN | Under |
| 01/15/2022 | UK 107- TENN 79 | UK | Over |
| 02/20/2021 | TENN 55 – UK 70 | UK | Under |
Both teams had a horrible time shooting from the floor the last time they met, but the Vols were particularly woeful from beyond the arc, going just 3-for-21 on three pointers, allowing Kentucky to escape with the win.
Throughout the past decade, Kentucky has been a perennial contender in the odds to win the NCAA tournament, but John Calipari’s squad is in a fight just to make the big dance this year. A win on Saturday over the Vols would bolster their resume dramatically.
Tennessee vs Kentucky Prediction
Confident coming off their win against Alabama, and looking for revenge after they lost their first head-to-head meeting last month, Tennessee have earned the right to be betting favorites in the college basketball odds for this one.
Rupp next.
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) February 17, 2023
However, they’ve been inconsistent lately, losing two straight on the road and are 1-4 against the spread in their last five games overall. Taking into account that they may be missing a couple integral parts of their lineup, our prediction is that the Vols suffer a letdown.
This should be a close game, so we’re going to play it safe and take the points given to the home side.
Pick: Kentucky +2.0 (-110)
George has had a lifelong love affair with sports and studying sports statistics since he was a kid. He graduated from Ryerson University with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and has worked in the sports & media industry ever since in various roles from writer to producer.
