Tennessee Volunteers vs Kentucky Wildcats Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 01/15/2022

Game Time: 1:00 pm ET, Saturday, January 15, 2022

Venue:  Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY

Where to Watch:  ESPN

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Tennessee +4.5, Kentucky -4.5; Over/Under:  141.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Tennessee +4.5, Kentucky -4.5; Over/Under:  141.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Tennessee +4.5, Kentucky -4.5; Over/Under:  142.5 points

 

Tennessee Volunteers:  11-4 (6th place, SEC)

Kentucky Wildcats:  13-3 (4th place, SEC)

 

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Tennessee Volunteers:  3-2 last 5

Kentucky Wildcats:  4-1 last 5

 

 

 

Tennessee is coming into this game with an 11-4 record overall and they are 1-2 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. This will be their 5th conference matchup of the year and they are currently 2-2 in their conference games this season. They have won 2 of their last 3 games and are coming into this one off of a win in their last game. Their last loss was against the LSU Tigers while their 2 wins in that span came against the Ole Miss Rebels and the South Carolina Gamecocks in their last game. Santiago Vescovi led the team in points in that game with 14 while Josiah-Jordan James and Zakai Zeigler off the bench were both next on the team with 11 points each. Vescovi also led the team in assists in that game with 5 while James led the team in rebounds with 12. They were 43.6% from the field, 33.3% from 3-point range, and 44% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 75.3 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 60.7 PPG against them. Tennessee has an ATS record of 9-6 this season and their O/U record is 6-9.

 

 

Kentucky is coming into this game with a 13-3 record overall and they are 11-0 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. This will be the 5th conference matchup on their schedule this year and they are currently 3-1 in their conference games this season. Their last loss was against the LSU Tigers but they have gone on a 2 game winning streak since then with wins coming against the Georgia Bulldogs and the Vanderbilt Commodores in their last game. Oscar Tshiebwe led the team in points in that game with 30 while Tyty Washington Jr. was next on the team with 15 points. Washington Jr. also led the team in assists in that game with 4 while Tshiebwe led the team in rebounds with 13. They were 52.5% from the field, 50% from 3-point range, and 62.5% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 82.6 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 62.1 PPG against them. Kentucky has an ATS record of 8-8 this season and their O/U record is 7-9.

 

Kentucky is coming into this game as a 4.5 point favorite with the current betting odds according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Kentucky has been playing well this season and they are undefeated at home with an 11-0 record there. They are coming into this one on a 2 game win streak and have played well in conference games with a 3-1 record this season. Tennessee has struggled on the road this season and they have lost their last 2 road games, both of those losses coming against conference opponents. Tennessee lost both of those games by more than 5 points and Kentucky has been a really strong force at home all season. The best bet to place in this game is on Kentucky to cover the spread here as Tennessee will continue to struggle in their road conference games.

 

Tennessee Kentucky Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Saturday, January 15, 2022 (1:00 pm ET start time) is Kentucky 76 Tennessee 67.

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Tennessee Volunteers: 26-39 O/U as a road underdog of 6 points or less or pick. 26-48 O/U in a road game where the total is 140 to 149.5. 6-11 O/U after having won 5 or 6 of their last 7 games. 14-24 O/U off a blowout win by 20 points or more over a conference rival. 8-14 O/U off a home win by 10 points or more. 13-21 O/U after a game where they covered the spread.

Kentucky Wildcats: 113-163 O/U when the total is 140 to 149.5. 19-28 O/U as a home favorite of 6 points or less or pick. 45-75 O/U in a home game where the total is 140 to 149.5. 4-10 O/U after a game outrebounding opponent by 15 or more. 3-10 O/U after 2 straight wins by 10 points or more.

 

 

Tennessee Volunteers:  None.

Kentucky Wildcats:  S. Wheeler (G) Ques Sat - Neck injury. C. Fredrick (G) Out indefinitely - Lower Body injury.

 

 

“The tempo is gonna change and sometimes he goes too deep. But defensively, the last game he didn't play much because we said what he's done all year was he comes in, he brings that energy. He does it and he's fearless. He's not going back down from anybody.” - Rick Barnes on Zakai Zeigler in their win against South Carolina.

 

 

“We've got great kids. You can't listen to the clutter. If you listen to the clutter, you're going to try and make a play every time to show (your stuff). You can't listen to it. Just be part of our team. The biggest thing I liked, I thought we defended our butts off early in the game. I don't know what the final was, they got over 42(%), but it was 35% for a while, you know? And that's what we want." - John Calipari on his team in their win against Vanderbilt.

 

 

 

K. Chandler 

J. Fulkerson 

J. James 

O. Nkamhoua 

S. Vescovi

 

K. Brooks 

K. Grady 

O. Tshiebwe 

T. Washington 

Sahvir Wheeler

 

 

PPG: S. Vescovi (13.6)

APG: K. Chandler (5.1)

Reb/G: J. James (6.1)

 

PPG: O. Tshiebwe (17)

APG: S. Wheeler (7.3)

Reb/G: O. Tshiebwe (15.1)

 

Coaches:

Tennessee Volunteers: Rick Barnes (7th season)

Kentucky Wildcats: John Calipari (13th season)