Unparalleled success from the SEC sees a pair of their teams fighting for a shot at the Elite Eight. Tennessee is looking for a second straight trip to the Tournament’s third round, still hunting for the first Final Four in program history. The Volunteers lean heavily on an elite defense and great playmaking and have been a national threat all season.
The complete opposite is the case for Kentucky, a program with perhaps the most profound success in college basketball history. The Wildcats reached the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in six years and are riding high under first-year coach Mark Pope, a former national champion as a Kentucky player.
How to watch Kentucky vs. Tennessee
- Date: Friday, March 28
· Time: 7:39 p.m. ET
· Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium
· How to Watch (TV): TBS/truTV
· Streaming: fubo TV (link: https://www.fubo.tv/welcome/leagues/191260?irad=367782&irmp=374356)
· Kentucky record: 24-11 (10-8 SEC)
· Tennessee record: 29-7 (12-6 SEC)
Kentucky vs. Tennessee odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook (link: https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/ )
Moneyline
· Kentucky +155
· Tennessee -188
Spread
· Kentucky +4.5 (-115)
· Tennessee -4.5 (-105)
Total
· 145.5 (over -105/under -115)
Kentucky injury report
· Kerr Kriisa, G, Out (Foot)
· Jaxson Robinson, G, Out
Tennessee injury report
· None
Kentucky and Tennessee series history
· Kentucky all-time record vs. Tennessee: 163-78
Kentucky vs. Tennessee prediction
The strength of the SEC got fourteen teams into the Big Dance and seven into the Sweet Sixteen, with both Kentucky and Tennessee looking to prolong brilliant seasons. They’ll be matching up for a third time this season, with the Wildcats having won both previous matchups, though the most recent was over a month ago when Jaxson Robinson was still available for Kentucky.
The Wildcats nabbed a 3-seed in the Big Dance and took care of business against both Troy and Illinois, using a strong second half push to put away the Fighting Illini on Sunday night. Koby Brea has been the sharpshooter that the Wildcats expected, Otega Oweh has been a brilliant scorer, and Lamont Butler brings intensity on both ends of the court. This roster was completely pieced together from the Transfer Portal, but Mark Pope and his staff did a brilliant job.
Although Tennessee lost those matchups this season, they managed to finish two games ahead of the Wildcats in the league standings. The Volunteers continue to be led by veteran point guard Zakai Zeigler, while their own new faces have put in important work. Tennessee slide by Wofford and UCLA thanks to Chaz Lanier’s continued brilliance, while a strong defensive effort was key against the Bruins on Saturday.
This matchup is something of a paradox, as Tennessee leans heavily on their defensive intensity while Kentucky is definitely the type of team that just runs up the score in some high octane battles. Part of what decided the previous two matchups between these teams was that the Volunteers had awful shooting from outside the arc, while Kentucky made 50% of those shots in both victories.
Tennessee’s ability to contain Brea and the other shot makers is going to be paramount on their quest for the Elite Eight. It’s very difficult to beat a team three times in one season and the Volunteers have really hit their stride over the last month or so of the season. Since the beginning of February, the Volunteers have a plethora of ranked wins and shot the ball much better since the NCAA Tournament began.
If the Wildcats can run their offense and make those shots like earlier in the year, they can get back to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2019, but it won’t be easy. Missing Robinson is a big loss for this squad, who will be leaning even more heavily on Brea and those other guards to produce offensively. Anything can happen in this conference matchup with everything on the line, but we’re leaning towards a different result.
Prediction: Tennessee 72, Kentucky 68