The No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers are still undefeated in SEC play, but their unblemished conference record is going to be in real danger of getting blemished this weekend, when they face the No. 5 Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington. The Wildcats are itching to rebound from a letdown home loss to the LSU Tigers, so expect them to go all out. The Vols are +700 to win the national title, while the Wildcats are +900 to take home the ultimate prized in college basketball.
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Betting Preview for the Tennessee Volunteers vs. Kentucky Wildcats College Basketball Game on February 16, 2019
Where: Rupp Arena, Lexington
When: Saturday, February 16, 2019, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Tennessee Volunteers (odds) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (odds) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Tennessee Volunteers (23-1 Overall / 11-0 Conference)
The Volunteers are unstoppable right now. Grant Williams are feeling unbeatable, and who can blame the? They have won all of their last 19 games, including an 85-73 home win over the gritty South Carolina Gamecocks last Wednesday. As usual, the Vols flourished on both ends of the floor in that game. They shot 49.3 percent from the field and held the Gamecocks to below 42 field goal percentage. It’s that kind of balanced performance on both ends of the floor that is propelling the Vols. On the season, the Volunteers are fifth in the nation with 85.4 points per game, while also just allowing 68.5 points per contest. They are also efficient with their shots, making them even more dangerous. Tennessee is seventh nationally with a high 57.0 effective field goal percentage. Williams paces the SEC in scoring with 19.9 points per game.
Tennessee is 5-1 against the spread (ATS) in its last six road games. On the entire season so far, the Volunteers are 6-1 straight up (SU) and 6-2 ATS.
Betting on the Kentucky Wildcats (20-4 Overall / 9-2 Conference)
Unlike Tennessee, the Wildcats failed to extend their winning streak, which got stopped at 10 after the LSU Tigers beat them at the buzzer in Lexington on Tuesday, 73-71. The Wildcats had a subpar shooting night against LSU, making just 41.7 percent of their shots from the field and going 5-for-19 from behind the arc. One of the biggest difference in that game was bench scoring in which LSU blew the Wildcats out of the water. LSU got 23 points from its reserves, while Kentucky’s second unit coughed up just 10 points. Nevertheless, the numbers do suggest that the Wildcats are going to be a big problem for Tennessee. Kentucky is fourth in the conference in offensive efficiency and owns the best defensive efficiency figure. Tennessee’s duo of Williams and Admiral Schofield won’t get away easy against the Wildcats’ frontline anchored by the pair of Reid Travis and PJ Washington, while Kentucky’s duo of Keldon Johnson and Tyler Herro can negate the effectiveness of Jordan Bone.
Kentucky is 7-7 against the spread (ATS) in 14 home games this season.
Writer’s Prediction
Kentucky upsets Tennessee, winning in a close one with a final score of 74-71.
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