The Christmas holidays aren’t quite here yet and Tuesday gives us an exciting ranked battle between these two teams. Louisville and Tennessee will face off in Knoxville, with the Cardinals looking to avenge a rough performance from last year while the Volunteers try to get their month and this season back on track.
The early work out of Louisville (9-1) has been very good as expected, with Pat Kelsey’s squad boasting impressive wins over Indiana and Kentucky. The Cardinals have gotten the job done in a number of ways and are fresh off a great 26-point win over Memphis just a few days ago, though they did suffer their first loss in their only other road contest.
Meanwhile, things at Tennessee (7-3) started off on the right foot but have been far less rosy in recent weeks. A seven-game winning streak started the season and included a great win over Houston, but the Volunteers have since lost three straight games, including tough performances against Syracuse and Illinois. Back at home, Tennessee has another challenge on their hands but a chance at redemption.
Louisville vs. Tennessee: When and Where
Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 7:00 pm ET
Location: Food City Center in Knoxville, Tennessee
Louisville vs. Tennessee: Where to Watch or Stream
Watch: ESPN
Streaming: FuboTV
Louisville vs. Tennessee: Betting Odds
Spread: Louisville -1.5, Tennessee +1.5
Moneyline: Louisville -118, Tennessee -102
Total: 157.5
Louisville vs. Tennessee: Series History
All time series: Louisville leads 12-9
Last meeting: Tennessee 77, Louisville 55 (November 9, 2024)
Projected Starting Lineups
Louisville Cardinals
Ryan Conwell (19.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg)
Mikel Brown Jr. (16.6 ppg, 5.1 apg)
Isaac McKneely (11.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg)
Sananda Fru (10.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg)
J’Vonne Hadley (9.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg)
Tennessee Volunteers
Ja’Kobi Gillespie (17.3 ppg, 5.4 apg)
Nate Ament (16.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg)
Felix Okpara (7.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg)
Bishop Boswell (6.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
Cade Phillips (3.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
Defense has been the calling card in recent years for Tennessee and they’ll need that against a strong Louisville team. It’s going to take a nice bounce back effort even at home and you know the Volunteers are looking for another great performance out of Gillespie. On the other hand, a balanced and strong Louisville team has been handling business and if they shoot like they did against Memphis then it might be another long night for Tennessee.
What version of this Tennessee team is going to show up and can they defend their home court and get back on track? Can Louisville take care of business in another prime matchup and secure their first road win of the year?