Tennessee vs Kentucky College Basketball Prediction, Odds, Picks, Best Bets for Jan. 17

The Tennessee Volunteers (12-5, 2-2 SEC) will host the Kentucky Wildcats (11-6, 2-2 SEC) after winning five home games in a row.

Before you place your bet on this game at FanDuel Sportsbook, here are the NCAA basketball odds and spreads you need to know.

Tennessee vs. Kentucky Game Info and Odds

• Game day: Saturday, January 17, 2026
• Game time: 12 p.m. ET
• TV channel: ESPN
• Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
• Arena: Thompson-Boling Arena

Tennessee vs. Kentucky Picks and Prediction

All college basketball win probability predictions and picks are according to numberFire.
Prediction: Tennessee win (76.3%)

Before making a wager on Saturday's Tennessee-Kentucky spread (Tennessee -6.5) or over/under (147.5 points), see the betting insights and trends below.

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Tennessee vs. Kentucky: ATS Betting Stats and Trends

• Tennessee is 7-10-0 ATS this season.
• Kentucky has won seven games against the spread this season, while failing to cover 10 times.
• Tennessee covers the spread when it is a 6.5-point favorite or more 45.5% of the time. That's more often than Kentucky covers as an underdog of 6.5 or more (never covered this season).
• The Volunteers covered the spread in a higher percentage of their home games than away games last season. They covered nine times in 17 opportunities when playing at home, and they covered five times in 11 opportunities on the road.
• Last year, the Wildcats were 10-8-0 at home against the spread (.556 winning percentage). On the road, they were 4-6-0 ATS (.400).
• Tennessee has posted one win against the spread in conference games this year.
• Kentucky has one SEC win against the spread this season.

Tennessee vs. Kentucky: Moneyline Betting Stats

• Tennessee has been the moneyline favorite in 10 games this season and has come away with the win seven times (70%) in those contests.
• This season, the Volunteers have been victorious six times in seven chances when named as a favorite of at least -285 or better on the moneyline.
• Kentucky has been listed as the moneyline underdog a total of three times this season, and it has lost each of those games.
• The Wildcats have not yet played a game with moneyline odds of +230 or longer.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies Tennessee has a 74% chance of coming away with a victory in the contest.

Tennessee vs. Kentucky Head-to-Head Comparison

• Tennessee is outscoring opponents by 14.5 points per game with a +247 scoring differential overall. It puts up 82.6 points per game (83rd in college basketball) and allows 68.1 per contest (54th in college basketball).
• Ja'Kobi Gillespie leads Tennessee, recording 18.2 points per game (72nd in the country).
• Kentucky is outscoring opponents by 13.4 points per game, with a +228 scoring differential overall. It puts up 83.1 points per game (74th in college basketball) and allows 69.7 per contest (84th in college basketball).
• Otega Oweh's team-leading 15.8 points per game rank him 215th in college basketball.
• The Volunteers win the rebound battle by 14.3 boards on average. They record 40.5 rebounds per game, which ranks third in college basketball, while their opponents pull down 26.2 per contest.
• Nate Ament leads the Volunteers with 6.4 rebounds per game (246th in college basketball action).
• The Wildcats win the rebound battle by 6.5 boards on average. They record 35.5 rebounds per game, 65th in college basketball, while their opponents pull down 29.
• Malachi Moreno leads the team with 6.4 rebounds per game (246th in college basketball).
• Tennessee ranks 101st in college basketball with 101.5 points scored per 100 possessions, and 20th in college basketball defensively with 83.7 points conceded per 100 possessions.
• The Wildcats rank 38th in college basketball with 106 points scored per 100 possessions, and 79th defensively with 88.9 points conceded per 100 possessions.

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