The No. 19 Kentucky Wildcats (5-2) will head to Knoxville, Tennessee on Saturday to play the No. 3 Tennessee Volunteers (7-0) at Neyland Stadium (7 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Vols are trying to keep their SEC title and CFP dreams alive, while the Wildcats are looking to keep pace in the SEC East.
The Vols have dominated the all-time series over the Wildcats with a record 80-25-9, winning three out of the past four matchups. Last season, Tennessee defeated Kentucky 45-42 in a shootout down in Lexington. Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker completed 15-of-20 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns. Meanwhile, Wildcats quarterback Will Levis did it all for Kentucky, passing for 372 yards, three touchdowns, an interception, and rushing for 47 yards and two scores.
Tennessee grabbed its seven-straight win on Saturday afternoon, defeating UT-Martin 65-24 at Neyland Stadium. The Skyhawks’ defense had no answers for the Vols’ offense, which produced 696 total yards of offense. Hooker completed 18-of-24 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns. One of his touchdown passes went to junior wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, who had seven receptions for 174 yards and two touchdowns. Hyatt will be one of the standout stars to watch out for in this SEC East contest.
As for the Wildcats, they snapped their two-game losing streak with a 10-point win over Mississippi State on Oct. 15. Kentucky senior running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. gashed the Bulldogs’ defense for 197 yards on 31 carries and two touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, Kentucky’s defense did a great job of forcing Miss State QB Will Rogers into an interception and holding the Bulldogs’ running game to 22 yards. They will need that defense to show up against a Tennessee offense that is averaging 571.7 total yards per game this year.
Below, we’ll break down what you need to know before you bet on this Week 9 matchup between these two ranked SEC East squads.
2022 CFB ODDS: Heisman | CFP and National Champion
Kentucky vs. Tennessee odds
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook
- Spread: Tennessee -12.5
- Over/under: 63.5
- Moneyline: Kentucky +360; Tennessee -480
Three trends to know
— The Wildcats are 2-8 against the spread in their past 10 games against the Volunteers.
— However, Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops has a record of 24-12 coming off of a home win, according to BetQL.
— The Vols are 6-1 ATS in their past seven games this season and 12-1 straight up in their past 13 home games against Kentucky.
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Three things to watch
— Hendon Hooker vs. Will Levis: This Saturday night contest features two of the best quarterbacks in the SEC not named Bryce Young. Hooker has been a superstar this season for the Vols, completing a career-high 70.6 percent of his passes for 2,093 yards, 18 touchdowns, and an interception. His lone interception happened on Oct. 15 against Alabama when the Heisman candidate led Tennessee to an upset three-point win. As for Levis, many draft analysts believe he could be a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. This season, he’s completed 69.5 percent of his passes for 1,635 yards, 13 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He torched this Tennessee defense last season in a three-point loss and could do it again on Saturday night. The Volunteers’ defense has allowed 23.1 points but 329.7 passing yards per game.
— The emergence of Jaylin Hyatt: The junior wide receiver jumped onto the national scene after his outing against the Crimson Tide, where he had six receptions for 207 yards and five touchdowns. It was one of the best performances we saw in college football this season and puts him on the radar of defensive coordinators. The young wide receiver followed up his five-touchdown performance with a casual 174 yards and two touchdowns against UT-Martin. Hyatt has now scored two or more touchdowns in three-straight games and has 12 touchdowns on the season. The Wildcats’ defense will have its hands full on Saturday as it tries to contain the dynamic junior receiver.
— Can Kentucky’s offense keep pace with the Vols?: If the Wildcats want to give themselves a chance to win on Saturday night, they will need Levis and Co. to be prepared to score on every offensive drive possible. The Wildcats are giving up 16.4 points per game this season; however, they will not be able to hold down a Tennessee offense that has scored 52, 40, and 38 points against ranked SEC opponents this season (Alabama, LSU, and Florida). Therefore, Levis will have to put the ball in the air, and the Wildcats need to get Rodriguez going in the running game. This season, the senior running back has 395 yards on 72 carries and three touchdowns in three games. If the Wildcats can play complementary football on offense, they will give themselves a shot in a hostile road environment.
Kentucky vs. Tennessee prediction
The Wildcats should have fresh legs for this primetime matchup after having the week off. They will need it, as Vols head coach Josh Heupel will look to push the ball down the field and create some big plays on offense. Kentucky is 3-0 ATS when listed as the underdog this season, and Tennessee is 3-1 ATS as double-digit favorites. We’ve seen Kentucky go on the road this season and defeat Florida by 10 points. However, the Vols are playing at another level, and I expect them to stay undefeated in what should be a high-scoring game at Neyland Stadium.
Final score: Tennessee 48, Kentucky 35. Kentucky (+12.5) covers the spread, and the total goes OVER (63.5).
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