Prediction, Game Preview, and Betting Lines for Kentucky vs. Tennessee

Shhhhhh, but Tennessee is still very much in the running for both a College Football Playoff berth and the SEC Championship.

Since the offense hasn’t been very strong and it has been a few weeks since the squad last defeated Alabama, it might not look like it, but it is, in fact, 6-1.

There is a layup against UTEP in late November, and if it makes it past Kentucky, there shouldn’t be any problems with Mississippi State in two weeks.

But there’s that trip to Georgia on November 16th to contend with, and the regular season finale at Vanderbilt is no longer a freebie.

Kentucky has made a mistake. Before losing at home to Vanderbilt, getting hammered by Florida, and losing at home to Auburn—who loses at home to Auburn?—it was 3-2 after a hard loss to Georgia and a thrilling victory over Ole Miss.

It must defeat Tennessee (hard), Murray State (great), Texas (uh-oh), and Louisville (maybe) in three of its next four games, which are 3-5. In Knoxville, it must come up with something significant.

Kentucky vs Tennessee Preview

Kentucky vs Tennessee How to Watch
Date: Saturday, November 2, 2024
Game Time: 7:45 pm ET
Venue: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN
How to Watch: SEC Network
Tennessee (3-5), Kentucky (6-1)

Why Kentucky Will Win

Kentucky ought to play till the end. Even though it might not seem like much, it matters.

The Wildcats have mastered the art of sticking around and then suddenly being up late in a how-did-THAT-happen victory under head coach Mark Stoops.

To be fair, the defense hasn’t been too horrible, but the offense is floundering.

The run defense can hold up most of the time, and there is a strong pass rush. Tennessee leads the SEC in scoring, however that is a myth because all of the team’s scores came in the season’s first three games.

In SEC play, the club has yet to score more than 25 points, yet

Why Tennessee Will Win

It would be an insult to things that aren’t pretty to call the Kentucky passing game ugly.

There are several reasons why it’s difficult to just finish passes. First, the running game isn’t getting a push from the offensive line, which was supposed to be a strength.

Second, too much pressure is allowed to enter the backfield by the Wildcats.

Yes, the Tennessee defense ranks first in the country on third down stops, third overall, and fifth in tackles for loss, but the offense has kind of stalled on that whole scoring thing, at least somewhat.

Kentucky vs Tennessee: Who Will Win

Over the past few years, Kentucky has occasionally come up with something completely unexpected. It performs some sort of miracle, such as this year’s victory over Ole Miss, and ups its overall game to make everyone believe it’s terrific.

If Tennessee is unable to maintain control of the game from the beginning, it could definitely occur here.

The running assault must be excellent, and the team must instantly cut down on turnovers, which have been seven in the last four games but, strangely, none in the defeat to Arkansas.

Although Kentucky will be Kentucky and drag this out for at least three quarters, the Vols will prevail.