The Tennessee Volunteers are fresh off a bye week, and they'll jump out to a big lead early against a struggling Kentucky defense. The Kentucky Wildcats hope to salvage their season when they visit the Tennessee Volunteers tonight. The Wildcats' offense has been atrocious, and my Kentucky vs. Tennesee predictions explain why the Vols will tear them up in the opening 30 minutes. Read more in my college football picks for Saturday, November 2. Kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m. ET from Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, with the game airing on the SEC Network.
Tennessee first half -9.5 ( -125 at BetMGM )
Picks made at time of writing may not reflect live odds. My analysis
Auburn had to come back from a 10-0 hole against Kentucky last week, and there was a key moment when the game swung completely in its favor. It happened once it started handing the football off. See, the Tigers decided they wanted to throw the ball out of the gate. Nearly every play in their first three possessions was a designed pass, and it led to two punts and an interception. But once the Tigers realized they could run the ball, it was all over. The Tennessee Volunteers have had two weeks to put together a game plan, and I guarantee it involves feeding the ball to Dylan Sampson. The Tennessee running back has had 22+ carries in four straight games, averaging 4.86 yards per carry against SEC opponents. Kentucky is banged up on both sides of the ball, but the loss of D’Eryk Jackson and JJ Weaver is a massive blow to a defense wearing down. Both are key cogs to a front seven allowing 3.94 yards per carry to SEC running backs—third-most in conference play. Offensively, Brock Vandagriff has been poor, and his performance at night in The Swamp won’t instill much confidence he’ll thrive in Rocky Top. Gavin Wimsatt saw time last week and could be inserted earlier here, but he completed just three of 10 passes against Auburn and wasn’t good in tough environments for Rutgers last season. The best way for Tennessee to limit its turnovers is to let Sampson work early and often and utilize Nico Iamaleava in the play-action game. Kentucky has given up the most chunk runs of any team in SEC competition, allowing 34 runs of 10+ yards to conference foes in six games and nine runs of at least 20 yards. The Volunteers' defense allows the second-fewest yards per play to conference foes and will cause real problems for a Kentucky offense ranked second-worst in SEC play in yards per play. Look for Tennessee to put this one away before halftime.
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Kentucky vs Tennessee prediction and best bet
My best betTennessee first half -9.5 ( -125 at BetMGM )
Picks made at time of writing may not reflect live odds. My analysis
Auburn had to come back from a 10-0 hole against Kentucky last week, and there was a key moment when the game swung completely in its favor. It happened once it started handing the football off. See, the Tigers decided they wanted to throw the ball out of the gate. Nearly every play in their first three possessions was a designed pass, and it led to two punts and an interception. But once the Tigers realized they could run the ball, it was all over. The Tennessee Volunteers have had two weeks to put together a game plan, and I guarantee it involves feeding the ball to Dylan Sampson. The Tennessee running back has had 22+ carries in four straight games, averaging 4.86 yards per carry against SEC opponents. Kentucky is banged up on both sides of the ball, but the loss of D’Eryk Jackson and JJ Weaver is a massive blow to a defense wearing down. Both are key cogs to a front seven allowing 3.94 yards per carry to SEC running backs—third-most in conference play. Offensively, Brock Vandagriff has been poor, and his performance at night in The Swamp won’t instill much confidence he’ll thrive in Rocky Top. Gavin Wimsatt saw time last week and could be inserted earlier here, but he completed just three of 10 passes against Auburn and wasn’t good in tough environments for Rutgers last season. The best way for Tennessee to limit its turnovers is to let Sampson work early and often and utilize Nico Iamaleava in the play-action game. Kentucky has given up the most chunk runs of any team in SEC competition, allowing 34 runs of 10+ yards to conference foes in six games and nine runs of at least 20 yards. The Volunteers' defense allows the second-fewest yards per play to conference foes and will cause real problems for a Kentucky offense ranked second-worst in SEC play in yards per play. Look for Tennessee to put this one away before halftime.
Kentucky vs Tennessee same-game parlay (SGP)
Given his recent workload and the frailties with Kentucky’s front seven, I will be shocked if Sampson fails to reach 20 carries again. He’s been a workhorse of late for the Volunteers, and he’s good for at least one big run per game. I expect Sampson to get into the open multiple times against the Wildcats to eclipse the 125-yard mark. Sampson is also the go-to guy inside the 10-yard line. He’s scored Tennessee’s first touchdown in three straight SEC games and will be relied upon against a Kentucky defense that defends the pass quite well inside the red zone. I like him to be the first Volunteer to find paydirt yet again. Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.Best Kentucky vs Tennessee bonus
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Kentucky has hit the first quarter game total Under in 10 of their last 13 games (+6.25 Units / 38% ROI). Find more college football betting trends for Kentucky vs Tennessee.Kentucky vs Tennessee game info
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