Kentucky vs. #24 Tennessee: Odds & Best Bets | January 17, 2026
Written by: Colby Marchio
Published: Fri Jan 16, 2026, 1:35 pm ET
Read Time: 4 minutes
ncaab
Write Up Transparency
Be sure to follow me on X/Twitter @C_marchio2 to get my full card every day! Picks are always FREE.
Last 7 Days: 7-9 (-3.72 Units)
Last 30 Days: 22-34 (-18.14 Units)
Full fade!!!
Kentucky vs. #24 Tennessee Odds
Can the Volunteers stay perfect at home?
You can find all of these great College Basketball odds on Lucky Rebel. Get a $1,250 deposit bonus & 50 Slot Spins when you sign up!
Spread
Kentucky: +5.5 (-105)
Tennessee: -5.5 (-115)
Total
Over: 145.5 (-110)
Under: 145.5 (-110)
Moneyline
Kentucky: +220
Tennessee: -275
Kentucky vs. #24 Tennessee Bet
We have ourselves a massive Saturday slate on the college hoops circuit, and we are kicking the day off with an SEC showdown between the Kentucky Wildcats and No. 24 Tennessee Volunteers. Both teams are coming off wins in their previous matchups, but the Wildcats are fresh off a massive emotional victory on Wednesday that feels primed for a fade.
After an 18-point comeback road win over LSU that ended with Kentucky draining a buzzer beater, it is time to fade them hard. I will be riding with Rick Barnes and the Volunteers in this spot. Tennessee is coming off a sloppy win over Texas A and M, pulling out an 87 to 82 victory as an 11.5-point favorite.
That was the toughest opponent the Aggies have faced this season, and a win would have marked their biggest result of the year. Barnes' boys were likely looking ahead to this matchup with Kentucky. The Wildcats are a team that has turned things around after early season struggles. Since December 13, they have wins over Indiana, St. John's, Mississippi State, and LSU. They are going to continue improving, but this still feels like a classic letdown spot after that emotional comeback.
This marks just Kentucky's fourth true road game of the season. In the three they have already played, they have struggled to force turnovers and guard the perimeter, ranking bottom 75 in both categories. Across their six total games away from home, Kentucky owns a bottom 100 effective field goal percentage on both offense and defense. They have also struggled shooting and defending the three ball, ranking bottom 45 in both areas. Haslametrics grades the Wildcats as the third worst team in away home court metrics, while Tennessee ranks 22nd best.
Vols at Home
Despite the underwhelming win over the Aggies, Tennessee remains unbeaten at home with a perfect 10-0 record. Bart Torvik rates the Volunteers with the seventh best defense in the country, paired with the 57th best offense. Inside their home arena, this team has excelled in several key areas, including offensive rebounding where they rank second nationally, three point defense where they rank 27th, and two point defense where they rank 37th.
One final stat I like to reference is what I call the fan base metric, which is simply free throw percentage defense. Tennessee ranks 23rd in that category. I only apply it to home teams since it is essentially a fake stat, but when the crowd is rocking and getting inside the heads of opponents at the line, I think it counts for something.
Best Bet: Tennessee -5.5 (-115) on Lucky Rebel
NCAAB Betting News NCAAB Betting News NCAAB Betting News NCAAB Betting NewsMore NCAAB News
NCAA Expands March Madness Tournament to 76 Teams Beginning in 2027
NCAA Basketball Transfer Portal Update: Portal Entries and New Signings
NCAA Basketball Coaching Changes: Where Are They Now?
#2 UConn vs. #1 Michigan Picks and Predictions: National Championship
Interested in More Content
Follow me on X @C_marchio2 for all of my picks and sports opinions!
Be sure to check out all things Betting News on X and Twitch!
While you are at it go get some merch at our Betting News Store!
In need of a sportsbook? Check out one of our favorites below and sign-up for a bonus!
Check Out All of Our Resources at Betting News
Former D1 (club) baseball player, Colby has been betting since his college days at DePaul, where he had to endure the worst collegiate basketball the Big East has ever seen. He is an advanced analytics nerd and has never seen an underdog he has not liked. Hot. Corn. Bull. It does not matter the dog he loves them all.
This site contains commercial content. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. Betting News makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event.