Tennessee vs Kentucky Prediction: Picks, Live Odds & Moneyline - Saturday, February 18, 2023

The Tennessee Volunteers (20-6, 9-4 SEC) face the Kentucky Wildcats (17-9, 8-5 SEC) at 1:00 PM ET on Saturday in SEC play. The matchup airs on CBS.

Saturday’s matchup between the Volunteers and the Wildcats features a tight line of Tennessee -1.5. The point total for the matchup is 132.5.

Tennessee vs. Kentucky Odds

Point Spread for Tennessee vs. Kentucky

The spread for this matchup is set at 1.5 points, with sportsbooks listing Tennessee as the favorite.

Tennessee vs. Kentucky Moneyline

As for the moneyline, Tennessee has -128 odds to pick up the win, while Kentucky is listed at +106 to claim victory.

Over/Under

Finally, the total for the game is set at 132.5 points.

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Game Time and How to Watch

Game Day: Saturday, February 18, 2023
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
TV Channel: CBS
Location: Lexington, Kentucky
Arena: Rupp Arena

Tennessee vs. Kentucky Betting Trends

Tennessee is 14-12-0 against the spread this season. The Volunteers have been chosen as favorites in 21 games this year and have walked away with the win 16 times (76.2%) in those games. Tennessee has eclipsed the over/under in 38.5% of its opportunities this year (10 times over 26 games with a set point total).

In Kentucky’s 26 games this year, it has 11 wins against the spread. The Wildcats have won two of the five games they were the moneyline underdog this season (40%). Kentucky’s games this season have gone over the point total 65.4% of the time (17 out of 26 games with a set point total).

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Tennessee vs. Kentucky Key Players to Watch

Tennessee

Zakai Zeigler leads his squad in assists per contest (5.5), and also averages 10.9 points and 3 rebounds. Defensively, he puts up 2 steals and 0.2 blocked shots. Santiago Vescovi posts a team-leading 12.3 points per contest. He is also posting 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists, shooting 38.9% from the field and 35.8% from beyond the arc with 2.6 made 3-pointers per game. Olivier Nkamhoua is putting up 10.7 points, 1.9 assists and 5 rebounds per game. Julian Phillips averages 9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. At the other end, he puts up 0.7 steals and 0.6 blocked shots.

Kentucky

Oscar Tshiebwe tops the Wildcats in scoring (15.8 points per game) and rebounding (13.3), and posts 1.6 assists. He also puts up 1.5 steals and 1 block. The Wildcats receive 11.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4 assists per game from Cason Wallace. Jacob Toppin is averaging 11.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, making 45.8% of his shots from the field. Antonio Reeves is putting up 13.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per contest, making 42% of his shots from the floor and 42.1% from 3-point range, with 2.3 triples per game.

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What you need to know about the Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee has compiled a 6-7-0 conference record against the spread this season. The Volunteers are averaging 72.3 points per game this season (162nd-ranked in college basketball), but they’ve really shined on defense, allowing only 56.4 points per contest (third-best). Tennessee is top-25 this year in rebounding, ranking eighth-best in college basketball with 37 boards per game. Meanwhile, it ranks 60th with 28.8 rebounds allowed per contest.

The Volunteers are putting up 76.2 points per game in home games. When playing on the road, they are averaging 69.1 points per contest. Tennessee is sinking 7.7 treys per game (148th-ranked in college basketball). It owns a 32.6% shooting percentage (264th-ranked) from three-point land. In terms of defending three-pointers, things are clicking for the Volunteers, who are allowing 5.6 three-pointers per game (21st-best in college basketball) and a 24.7% shooting percentage from downtown (best).

The Volunteers have a 5-5 record against the spread while going 6-4 overall over their past 10 contests. In its past 10 contests, Tennessee has hit the over four times. Tennessee has been putting up 67.3 points per game in its last 10 appearances, an average that’s a little lower than the 72.3 it has scored over the course of the 2022-23 campaign. Tennessee has been less stingy on the defensive side of the ball as of late, giving up 61.1 points per game during its last 10 contests compared to the 56.4 points per game its opponents average in the 2022-23 season.

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What you need to know about the Kentucky Wildcats

So far this season, 10 out of Kentucky’s 13 SEC games with an over/under have hit the over. In 2022-23, the Wildcats are 114th in the nation offensively (74.7 points scored per game) and 132nd defensively (68 points conceded). Kentucky is 27th in college basketball in rebounds per game (35.5) and 13th-best in rebounds allowed (27.2).

In 2022-23 the Wildcats are averaging 11.9 more points per game at home (79.5) than on the road (67.6). Kentucky makes 6.8 3-pointers per game and shoots 36.3% from beyond the arc, ranking 245th and 70th, respectively, in college basketball. The Wildcats give up 6.4 3-pointers per game and concede 33.1% from beyond the arc, ranking 82nd and 142nd, respectively, in the nation.

The Wildcats are 7-3 against the spread and 7-3 overall over their last 10 contests. Kentucky has hit the over in eight of its last 10 contests. Over its past 10 games, Kentucky is averaging 72 points per contest, 2.7 fewer points than its season average (74.7). Over their previous 10 games, the Wildcats are surrendering 68.8 points per game, 0.8 more points than their season average (68).