The Kentucky Wildcats are coming off an embarrassing 45-7 loss to the Mississippi State Bulldogs. They will need to play with a sense of urgency in order to capitalize on a favorable matchup with an excellent opportunity to bounce back this week. Kentucky will host the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday night in Lexington. For as bad as they looked in last week’s loss, the Wildcats will have the opportunity to bounce back and improve to 6-2 on the season when they host the sliding Vols this weekend.
Details
Odds: Kentucky -4
Date & Time: Saturday October 28th – 7:30 PM ET
Location: Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, Kentucky
Broadcast: SEC Network
Reasons To Bet On The Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee is coming off its third straight loss after being blown away by Alabama 45-7 last weekend. The final score could have been a lot worse. Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban decided to pull some of his starters after the game got out of hand. The Vols have lost twice by 38 points or more over their last three games. They hit rock bottom in the loss to the Crimson Tide. Just when it looked like Tennessee had scored its first offensive touchdown in 13 quarters of action they had it overturned because of a false start on the play. The drive ended with an interception. If there is any possible silver lining heading in to this week it’s that the Vols have played better against opponents that aren’t ranked in the top-25. Head coach Butch Jones could be fired if Tennessee doesn’t bounce back with a better effort this week so look for the Vols to throw everything they have at Kentucky this week.
Reasons To Bet On The Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky had no answer for Mississippi State in last week’s 45-7 loss. Moving forward the hope for the Wildcats is that result is just an aberration. After all, it was only Kentucky’s second loss of the season and first by more than a one-point margin. Head coach Mark Stoops called the loss “unnerving” but should have his team back on track this week. Kentucky was embarrassed by the Bulldogs so they should have plenty of motivation as they attempt to bounce back at home. Senior quarterback Stephen Johnson had by far his worst performance of the season as he completed just 13-of-28 pass attempts for 117 yards and two interceptions. Johnson in particular will need to be better in order for the Wildcats to bounce back. Johnson had thrown for nine touchdowns compared to just two interceptions before last week’s loss so there is a good chance he rebounds at home this Saturday night.
Outlook
We’ve seen lots of early movement on this betting line. Kentucky opened up as a 4.5-point favorite. However, the line has gone up to -6 and back to -4.5 multiple times. The most recent pressure, though, has pushed it all the way down to -4, which is where the line sits right now. As far as the total is concerned, we saw the number open up at 46.5. It has shifted by half-points in both directions but now has settled at 46.
The Vols offense is an absolute mess right now and their defense didn’t look much better in last week’s loss to Alabama. Tennessee looks extremely vulnerable and will now have to travel to face a tough Kentucky team that is also looking to bounce back in a big way following an embarrassing loss. The Wildcats are better positioned to deal with the adversity that they faced last week so look for them to find a way to win and cover at home on Saturday.
The other key to remember here is that Kentucky still believes in their program and their coach. The Vols look like a team that knows head coach Butch Jones is going to get fired. They’ve basically tuned him out. It’s hard to bet on a team when you know that their coach is in a lame duck situation.
Prediction: Kentucky -4
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