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Teams: Tennessee Volunteers (3-4, 0-4) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (5-2, 2-2)
Rankings: Tennessee (S&P+: 95) | Kentucky (S&P+: 91)
Kickoff Time: 6:30 p.m. CT/7:30 p.m. ET
TV: SEC Network
Watch Online: WatchESPN
All-Time Series: Tennessee leads the all-time series 74-18-8. The Vols have won the last five games and 31 of the last 32 since 1984.
Last Time We Met...: The Vols earned a 49-36 victory in Knoxville.
Spread: The spread opened at 5.5 points in favor of Kentucky. The line has shrunk to between 3.5-4.5.
O/U: The total opened at 47. It’s now down to 46.
Records ATS: Tennessee (1-6) | Kentucky (2-5)
The Tennessee Vols have spiraled to an 0-4 start in SEC play. It doesn’t seem to be getting much better for coach Butch Jones, who has been mired in this rut for most of the season. On and off the field, Tennessee can’t seem to get out of their own way. The thrashing they felt at the hands of the Alabama Crimson Tide didn’t help matters much last week. That’s putting it mildly.
Kentucky, meanwhile, had been effective until they hit a bump last week. They were clubbed by Mississippi State 45-7 in Starkville, holding off their bowl eligibility chances for at least a week. It was the worst defeat they’d suffered this season by a wide margin, and bouncing back this time around will be imperative.
Luckily for Kentucky (How often can we say that?) they’ll welcome reeling Tennessee to Lexington. The series hasn’t favored UK in recent years, but Tennessee just looks lost at this point. The Wildcats have been leaky for sure, but this is certainly a winnable game for them.
Especially since Tennessee running back John Kelly is suspended. The Vols won’t have their best offensive weapon on the field, so scoring will be even harder than it’s been for them the past few weeks. Remember... they still haven’t scored an offensive touchdown since September 23. It’s been well over a month, and that stretch might continue after Saturday.
It seems simple enough.
Prediction: Kentucky 20, Tennessee 9