Kentucky Wildcats vs Tennessee Volunteers Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 01/17/26

Saturday hoops begin with one of the best rivalries in the SEC as the Kentucky Wildcats face the Tennessee Volunteers. Both teams are off to a 2-2 start in conference play. The Wildcats have won 2 in a row, although they weren’t pretty. Last weekend they were down big early to Mississippi State before battling back to win comfortably — and the midweek game required a Laettner-style buzzer beater to beat LSU on the road. The Vols, on the other hand, have been strong at home but vulnerable on the road. I think that trend holds, so I am playing Tennessee -6.5.

One of the problems for the Wildcats these days is injuries. Everyone is quick to bury head coach Mark Pope, but this team has lost its starting PG for the season and has played much of the season without its starting center — whom it will once again be missing on Saturday. This team has a lot of depth, but missing two key starters is killer against an elite defense like Tennessee. Look for the home side to control this game, and it should grind down the ‘Cats playing at home with an electric crowd — especially with all of Kentucky’s injuries. Also worth noting is that Kentucky has been consistently bad to open games. If it gets down big early to Tennessee (as it has to several other opponents recently), it won’t be getting back up off the mat against this defense. Give me the Vols to cover.

Kentucky vs Tennessee prediction: Tennessee -6.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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